No Ifs, Ands or Butts

We support Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 in his crusade to ban smoking in all Harvard dorms. Students will welcome this long-anticipated policy that follows a trend to expand non-smoking areas both in Cambridge and around the country.

The world of a Harvard smoker is already confined to his or her dorm room. Smoking in dining halls, at lectures and house functions was once an accepted practice. But now Harvard functions ban smoking, students cannot be forced to live with smokers, and beginning with the class of 2001, first-year dorms are smoke-free. So where does this leave the Harvard smoker? Groups of students gather outside the dorms--at least 100 yards away in the case of first-years--as cigarette smoke slowly curls around their heads. It then drifts into the atmosphere, safely away from the clean lungs and sensitive noses of non-smoking students, faculty and staff.

Although such a policy would seem to violate the smokers' civil rights, Harvard's crowded living conditions prove otherwise. The cracks in the walls and doors of Harvard's many old dorm rooms allow smoke to leave its room of origin. It pollutes hallways and seeps through the doors of non-smokers. Thus, these innocents are put at a higher risk of smoking-related ailments by their fellow students.

And while we appreciate the College's concern for our health, we will stop short of dehumanizing smokers as non-citizens. We ask the dean to make programs and counseling services available to smokers who want to quit. At the same time, a limited number of ventilated smoking lounges would give smokers some freedom and warmth, while sparing their non-smoking counterparts from the fumes.

The Committee on House Life, house masters and students should rally behind Lewis in support of a safer and less malodorous dorm environment, but should also open a dialogue with smokers to determine how best to meet their needs.