The paper draws on an evaluation of a workplace smoking policy implemented at Edinburgh University to examine some implications for smokers at work. While the objective of institutional risk-reduced environments is to diminish or control the level of risk behaviour within, they may have unanticipated implications for participants who are unwilling or unable to adapt. Data presented in the paper suggest that the University smoking policy carried its own risk. That is, the policy did not impact equally upon all members of the organisation but was experienced as divisive in contributing towards and sustaining social inequalities among staff.