Fires in Purtill and Joyce were started when someone threw a cigarette in a trash can. The reason for the change in the smoking policy is that St. Michael's hopes to reduce the amount of second hand smoke students inhale. According to the Environmental Protection Agency , second hand smoke can be the cause of eye, nose and throat irritation, as well as asthma attacks. Jacques feels that second hand smoke is a risk to St. Michael's students, because people live so closely together in the residence halls. There is no way to prevent smoke from traveling through the air to other rooms.
Lung cancer is the most serious consequence of being subject to second hand smoke.
People could be contracting lung cancer without even realizing before it is too late, the Quit Smoking web site says. Many colleges throughout the country are making the smoke free campus pledge, to keep their students healthy. The University of Vermont became a smoke free campus this fall. In 1998, Harvard University prohibited smoking in residence houses as well as in the freshmen dormitories. The University hoped this ban on smoking would stop students from starting to smoke in addition to assisting students to quit.