Students have right to smoke

Smoking is no longer allowed at Valparaiso University residence halls. At the beginning of the fall semester, smoking is no longer allowed in the three dormitories which previously allowed students to puff on a square.\nThere are obviously mixed emotions among the 3,600 students. About 1,026 students voted in the March 2000 referendum to ban smoking in the residence halls. The referendum took place this fall after it was passed through VU's President Alan Harre's office.\nOfficials also expressed health concerns as a reason for the decision.\nHealth concerns are a big problem everywhere. It is a student's right to smoke. It is not fair to force a student to go outside. \nStudents do not want to go through the hassle of leaving their dorm room every time they want to have a cigarette. When the weather is bad, students do not want to have to be inconvenienced so they can fulfill their desires for nicotine. \nStudents are still going to smoke inside. They would rather risk being caught than going outside in the cold. \nSecond hand smoke even bothers smokers. It is understandable if there are two people in the room, and one of them doesn't like the smell of cigarettes, you should not smoke.\nWhen you fill out your dorm application, you can request a smoking room. If you pair people together who smoke, there should not be an issue of the cigarette smoke bothering the other. \nCollege students are on their own to become adults. VU is taking away a fundamental right for adults to make decisions.\nStaff vote: 5 -2- 0