Smoking To Be Prohibited in College Residences

Beginning with the fall term 1998-99, smoking will be prohibited in all of Harvard's residential Houses as well as in the Freshman dormitories. This change extends to all Houses the policy already in effect for the Freshman dormitories and for three of the twelve residential Houses. It applies to tutor rooms and common spaces as well as to student rooms. Smoking in offices is already prohibited under a Cambridge ordinance.

This policy is designed to protect nonsmoking residents from the ill effects of ambient tobacco smoke. Second-hand smoke is known to exacerbate a variety of respiratory ailments such as asthma, as well as to contribute to the risk of heart and lung diseases including cancer. The College also hopes that the policy will discourage Harvard students from starting to smoke, and will encourage current smokers to quit.

The policy change was made after consultation with the Masters and the Committee on House Life, as well as a number of individual students. It was also heavily informed by a study carried out in the spring of 1997 by Henry Wechsler, principal investigator of the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study. In Wechsler's study, a majority of Harvard students indicated that they favored prohibiting smoking in all College buildings (56.8%). A majority of each of the four class years favored a general ban, with freshmen most strongly supportive (62%). Majorities both of women (59%) and of men (55%) favored a ban.

In conjunction with this new policy, the College will be working with the University Health Services to educate students about the health consequences of smoking and to promote smoking cessation programs.