Dormitories to be entirely smoke-free
In many ways, dormitory life at Amherst College is the same as it has long
been—roof-raising parties, frantic study sessions, philosophical debates
that last into the wee hours of the morning. But a new policy ensures that one
aspect of dormitory tradition will disappear. In an e-mail to
all students on Nov. 18, President Anthony W. Marx announced the expansion of
an indoor-smoking ban to include all campus buildings, including dormitories,
starting with the Spring 2004 semester.
“As you know,” Marx wrote to students, “all of our dormitories
are now smoke-free in public areas, and several dormitories are designated as
smoke-free even in private rooms. I have decided to prohibit smoking in private
rooms in all the dorms because of my concern about the health problems caused
by direct and second-hand smoke and my desire to do all we can to ensure the
long-term health of all of our students.”
According to The Amherst Student, Marx’s decision came after a parent asked
about smoking in residential buildings during a Family Weekend forum. The prohibition,
which was supported by the College Council (a committee of faculty, students
and administrators), is in line with the policies of most of the other members
of the Five College consortium (according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Mount
Holyoke and Smith colleges and the University of Massachusetts have all adopted
similar policies in the past three years). Marx’s
e-mail, which came two days before the American Cancer Society’s annual
Great American Smokeout (a national event designed to encourage people to quit
smoking), also announced a smoking-cessation program being offered by the Student
Health Service. The program will provide nicotine patches to interested students
in combination with individual counseling.
Student response was swift and impassioned. Some lashed out at the decision,
both in newspaper articles and in online forums. Complaining about the notion
of smoking outdoors during the winter, junior Daniel Graves told the Gazette, “This
is complete and utter nonsense, and totally unfair.”
But others supported the new policy on smoke-free dorms. “I tend to think
that my right to breathe takes precedence over any other person’s desire
to smoke in his or her room,” senior Solomon Granor was quoted as saying
in the Gazette. Senior Jerry Hilinski agreed. “Smokers object to being
put in an uncomfortable situation,” Hilinski says, “but they don’t
realize that every time they light up inside a dorm, they might be making other
students even more uncomfortable.”
—Rebecca Louick ’04
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