"Smoking is legal," said council member JustinD. Lerer '99, who is also a Crimson editor."Students are mature enough here to make adecision like that for themselves."

"It is an area where the college shouldn'tmandate that students act in a certain way," saidLillian J. Epstein '00, a member of the councilwho has been working with the administration onthis issue.

"It encroaches on student liberty. Studentshave a right to a smoke-free environment but wheresmoking doesn't disturb others the College shouldnot ban it," she added.

But, despite her opposition to smoke-freeHouses, Epstein does not view the ban as a directcontradiction of student opinion.

"We did the best that we could to representstudent opinion on this issue," Epstein said. "Idon't think there is a clear consensus. It wasgoing to be a compromise."

Nelson, who is also a Crimson editor, said herecognizes the administration's general concernfor student health.

"I understand what the concerns are, and Ithink that they're real issues, so it's hard tocriticize the decision too harshly," he said.

While student representatives opposed the ban,the press release from Lewis' office cited studentopinion as a motivation for the decision.

A 1997 study conducted Henry Wechsler,principal investigator of the Harvard School ofPublic Health College Alcohol Study, concludedthat 56.8 percent of Harvard students favorprohibiting smoking in all college buildings.

House masters are divided in their opinion ofthe ban.

Ware said he believes the health benefits ofthe ban outweigh other concerns.

"I think as a public health measure it has tobe a wonderful thing," Ware said. "It placesrights and well being on both sides."

Some masters said they think the ban willnegatively affect the image of the Houses becauseit will force students to stand outside smokingcigarettes.

Others said the ban infringes on students'rights.

"I think that I would not implement a similarban myself," said Suzanne M. McCarthy, co-masterof Pforzheimer House.

"We felt that we wanted to support theindividual rights of students," she said.

But McCarthy said she is optimistic that theban will encourage students to quit smoking. "Itwas small things that prevented me from becoming asmoker," she said. "This could be one of them.