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News Summary

Smoke-free dorm bill brings mixed reactions

Publication Date: 2005-07-05
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  • Publication:Trenton (NJ) Times
The Senate and Assembly both recently approved a bill to ban smoking in student dormitories in both public and private colleges and universities across the state. Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey supports the measure, so it is likely to be signed into law.

Supporters contend the law would be the strongest of its kind in the nation and would prevent dormitory fires as well as reduce students' exposure to second-hand smoke. But some students interviewed recently on the TCNJ campus in Ewing weren't overly enthusiastic either way about the ban...

At Princeton University, the undergraduate student life committee opted to go smoke-free in the fall despite the fact that the university's undergraduate student government didn't give its support.

"On some level it's not our prerogative to tell people they shouldn't smoke," said Janet S. Dickerson, the university's vice president for campus life. "But in the same way cities like New York are regulating the location for smoking, we're trying to send a strong message that we're concerned about health."

"I don't smoke and I don't want to be around it," said Brittany Hammer, a Newtown, Pa., native who is going to be a junior at TCNJ in the fall. "But I question the reasoning behind it. It seems kind of funny if it's legal to smoke. This is your home."

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