Smoking ban should rank as a University priority

In it Nov. 9 issue, the editors of The Chronicle stated that the University has far more important concerns to deal with than smoking in residence halls and that a ban, such as the one suggested by Campus Council, would be unenforceable. This position represents a naive approach to a potentially serious health issue for many students.

Although the editors seem to doubt its importance, second-hand smoke inhalation severely aggravates already existing problems like asthma and allergies and obviously can cause long-term consequences as well. The Chronicle suggests that a system pairing smokers as roommates--which already exists--and separating those bothered by smoke would alleviate all concerns. However, that students do not explicitly state that they are "bothered" by smoke does not detract from the fact that it is harmful to their health.

The editors also stated that since the University does not enforce bans on smoking in Blackwell and Randolph Dormitories that they could not possibly enforce a campus-wide ban. First of all, there currently are no bans on smoking in Blackwell and Randolph. Second, in terms of implementation, smoking violations could be treated in the same manner as noise violations. As the smell of smoke is highly recognizable and travels quickly, enforcement by residential advisors would be relatively easy.

Certainly, the editors correctly stated that the University has many pressing matters to settle this year, but to regard smoke-free residence halls as unimportant and unenforceable lacks foresight. In the future, I hope that The Chronicle will recognize the positive results of such a system and realize its viability.