Editorial: Much-needed breathing room

One issue that has not been addressed by University policy, however, is smoking outside University facilities and buildings. Many students, barred from smoking indoors, simply step outside and smoke directly next to or in close proximity to the entrance of the building. This can be a source of potentially unavoidable exposure to secondhand smoke for students wishing to enter the building. A simple solution would be to extend the prohibition of smoking to areas within 20 feet of an entrance to a University building. This restriction is currently not found in “Rights, Rules, Responsibilities” or the Office of Human Resources’ policies and regulations. Many universities across the country, including the Penn, require smokers to stand more than 20 feet away from entrances.

Some would view this restriction on smoking as another attack on the rights of individuals. But because secondhand smoke is known to cause adverse health effects, the rights of individuals to be protected from secondhand smoke should come before the right to smoke. The 2005 decision to ban smoking in undergraduate dormitories has already shown the University’s affirmation of this principle. Moreover, this policy represents a compromise, since many other schools, including the University of Michigan and Washington University in St. Louis, have passed policies banning smoking on all University property. In addition, more than 250 colleges and universities are 100 percent tobacco-free, meaning that they have not only prohibited smoking on campus, but also all other forms of tobacco use.

Enforcement could be left to Public Safety, who could make first-time violators aware of the policy and fine repeat offenders. Individuals who are bothered by recurring offenses in a given area could be encouraged to report them, giving officers a better idea of where violations are likely to occur. These measures would likely be enough to deter people from smoking near the entrances of buildings. By enacting this policy, Princeton would improve the campus environment by securing the right to clean air for all members of the campus community.