The 10 UK unis that catch the most students smoking or vaping in halls – many are Russell Group

Prominent UK unis – including many from the Russell Group – have recorded hundreds of students vaping and smoking in their accommodation halls since 2024, according to Freedom of Information requests.

The University of Greenwich is the uni which recorded the most incidents of students vaping or smoking in uni-owned accommodation. Greenwich caught out 727 students for doing this over the last few years. Although the University of Greenwich sent out formal warnings to 86 of these students, none of them were fined for smoking or vaping.

Out of the Russell Group universities, the University of Edinburgh recorded the most incidents of students smoking or vaping in halls. The university documented 194 cases. 55 formal warnings were also issued to Edinburgh students. Altogether, the University of Edinburgh fined students £4,900 for breaking rules about smoking and vaping. Another Russell Group universities also handed out sizeable fines to students who smoked or vaped in their halls. The University of Southampton fined students a combined £6,075 for this. Perhaps students should keep this in mind before they pack a suitcase of vapes for Freshers’ Week?

Well-behaved University of Edinburgh students in halls

Smoking indoors is illegal in the UK. It isn’t illegal to vape inside, but many universities set rules about vaping in their buildings.

This data comes from Freedom of Information requests by the nicotine pouch retailer Alternix.

Here are the 10 UK universities that recorded the most incidents of students vaping or smoking in uni-owned accommodation, from 2024 to June 2026:

10. University of Exeter – 165 incidents

University of Exeter students in the smoking area at a club

9. University of Manchester – 191 incidents

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8. University of Edinburgh – 194 incidents

7. Lancaster University – 198 incidents

6. University of Bath – 199 incidents

5. Oxford Brookes University – 203 incidents

4. Kingston University – 249 incidents

3. University of Essex – 258 incidents

2. University of Sussex – 426 incidents

1. University of Greenwich – 727 incidents

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Featured image of the University of Edinburgh via Canva.