Staff Editorial: Smoking ban is a wise decision

Thanks to a new policy introduced by the Undergraduate Assembly and the University Council, students on campus will no longer be able to smoke in their rooms as of fall 2004, regardless of whether or not they get their roommates' consent. This is a sensible decision, and one that resulted from a great deal of student sentiment in support of a ban.

The problem with the old policy was that, while a smoker's roommates might give their consent to have smoke in their room, their hallmates may not, and in many University buildings the ventilation is suspect enough that those neighbors would inevitably find themselves experiencing an uncomfortable amount of secondhand smoke.

Obviously, the nature of cigarette smoke makes it a health hazard as well as a simple annoyance for non smokers. Besides the hazardous health effects that stem from long-term exposure to smoke, students with asthma and other similar conditions are placed at an immediate risk. This makes it, more than an issue of personal freedom, but also an issue of public health.

There will certainly be a fiercely negative response from the smoking minority within the student body. But while this change will no doubt inconvenience some, the overwhelming response to the survey that was the impetus for this change in policy indicates that the vast majority of the student body, as well as many faculty and staff, is behind this new policy. It is also worth noting that several of Penn's peer institutions have undergone similar changes.

Aside from health concerns, smoking in dormitories also poses a fire hazard, such as an incident last year in which a cigarette tossed out of a high rise window was blown into another room, incinerating a pillow. While the chances of incidents such as these are slim, the results could be catastrophic.

This change will also affect resident advisers, in that the responsibility to enforce the smoke-free policy will fall to them. While it is an added burden on them, keeping cigarette smoke away from those who will not or cannot tolerate it will have an immensely positive impact on Penn's residential community.

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