Housing Services will be making all residence halls smoke-free starting next fall. For most students this is a surprise; smoking is banned in all freshman residence halls and in most other halls on campus anyways.

But to the smokers who live on campus and treasure their sacred spaces to light up, it means they will have to spend more time braving the elements than their more health-conscious counterparts.

This is not a matter of students using illegal substances. Smoking, except in designated areas, is completely legal. So what it comes down to is a matter of courtesy.

But who is more deserving of the courtesy? The non-smoker or the smoker?

A survey conducted by NUPulse in 2002 revealed that 84 percent of residents supported a limited amount of smoking within residence halls. The survey counted 927 residential students and a majority of the students, smokers and non-smokers, said smoking in private rooms or designated areas within some halls is the preferred policy. This was despite the fact that 82 percent of those surveyed considered themselves non-smokers.

Currently at Northeastern, students are allowed to smoke in certain residence halls on campus as long as their roommates sign an agreement at the beginning of the year. But problems arise when students sign the agreement at the beginning of the year “to be nice” or others decide to quit smoking themselves.

Smoking is a disgusting habit, and many smokers would agree with that statement. But it is just that, a habit, and many can’t really control it. There are other roommate habits that are similarly annoying: loud music, snoring, etc. What if a roommate used a horrible smelling perfume every day? Would you make that person go outside to spray themselves?

To make every residential building on campus smoke free is a bold move but not one that is entirely fair. Certain buildings should have floors that allow people to smoke on a roommate-consent basis. There should be no smoking in the hallways or stairwells, and your door should remain closed. Also, if a room is a smoking room one year, it has to be from now on, because we all know that smell will never leave.

In recent memory there has not been a Crime Log entry about smoking cigarettes, which leads us to believe it’s an issue that can be resolved on a case-by-case basis. Resident Assistants are equipped to handle disagreements, and just because this one has to do with smoking, makes it no different.

To non-smokers, smoke is very annoying, inconsiderate and bothersome. But smokers have rights too, and, like it or not, we all have to share the same campus and pay the same bill.