I have to totally disagree with the editorial about continuing to allow students to "choose" to smoke in their room ("Let them smoke" SN 11/13). Currently fires, candles, incense and basically anything that burns is banned from private residence hall rooms for safety reasons.

Everything, that is, except cigarettes.

I had the misfortune to room blind with a smoker my senior year in Landon Hall. My roommate signed up for a smoke-free room because she hoped it would assist her to quit. Her resolve soon disappeared and she and all her friends would come over to smoke in my room whenever they wished regardless of my protests.

My experience is not at all uncommon. Many students sign up for smoke-free housing even though they are smokers either for the reason my roommate had or because they don't want their parents to find out they smoke.

The smoke-free roommate is the one who has the unasked-for health consequences. If all rooms were consistently smoke-free and the residence hall policies were written to ensure compliance then no one would have to endure secondhand smoke in his or her private room. Current policies do not provide enough protection. No one can live without breathing.

Smokers, in general, have become pretty used to going elsewhere to smoke and are usually quite willing to do so to respect the health of friends and neighbors.

I hope today's students will support the need for clean indoor air and respect everyone's right to clean air, and the residence hall administration will do the right thing in protecting the health and safety of all its residents by eliminating smoking.

Karen S. Brown
1987 graduate