Residence halls will go smoke-free

Smoking will be banned in all UW–Madison residence halls, including student rooms, beginning with the 1999-2000 academic year, University Housing officials have announced.

The smoke-free policy will apply to about 6,800 students who live in university residence halls, says Paul Evans, director of University Housing.

Smoking already is prohibited in public areas of university housing, such as dens, lounges and corridors. Currently, smoking is permitted in some residence hall rooms if all roommates agree to allow it. University Housing has made rapid voluntary progress toward a smoke-free environment. More than half of campus residence halls already have been declared entirely smoke-free.

The university has enforced a smoke-free policy for other campus buildings since 1991 as a way to promote campus health. The original policy applied to most UW–Madison buildings, including individual offices.

Evans says the decision last week speeds up a previous timetable to phase out smoking in residence halls. The University Residence Halls Board accepted the accelerated plan with very little debate, Evans says.

At University Apartments, including Eagle Heights, a number of buildings also have been declared smoke-free.

The American Heart Association has reported that passive smoking is responsible for the death of an estimated 53,000 non-smoking Americans each year. For smokers themselves, the university sponsors smoking cessation and education programs to help people kick the habit.