Smoke out

The University should absolutely instate a smoke-free policy for all dormitories. It seems absurd that the rooms where students sleep are still not subject to the safety and quality-of-life rules that are already applied to classroom buildings. While it is unlikely that the policy will convince many students to quit smoking, it will immeasurably aid in creating safer and more comfortable living spaces for everyone on campus.

ResLife would never tolerate any behavior or items in the dorms that threaten the safety of residents. Like halogen lights, candles, and incense, cigarettes pose tremendous safety threats and fire hazards to residents and should therefore be outlawed in dorms. And because it is impossible to completely keep cigarette smoke inside a dorm room, this is not an occasion for compromise. Anyone who has lived on a typical floor of a dorm knows that when students choose to smoke in their rooms, the halls often reek of cigarettes, even with the doors closed and the windows open.

The argument in opposition to instating this policy simply does not hold water. Some students have cited the existence of substance-free housing as an option for those trying to escape cigarette smoke, but substance-free housing is in high demand and cannot possibly accommodate all students who want to live in smoke free conditions.

On principle, nonsmokers should not be asked to accommodate to the needs of smokers. This isn't to condemn those who smoke, but simply to say that since smoke is the cause of health and safety problems, it should be the one to go. It would be unreasonable to ask nonsmokers to leave their dorms to accommodate those who are creating a safety risk.

It is blatantly unfair of any University office to allow students to be exposed to the type of long-term harm and the immediate danger caused by cigarette smoke. For $4250 a year, no student should be asked to live in an environment that does not meet the highest health and safety standards.