Smoking Banned Near Boylston

Smoking will no longer be permitted on the steps of Boylston Hall because members of departments housed in the basement have complained about the air quality and ventilation inside the building, according to Maureen McCarthy, the building manager of Boylston Hall.

McCarthy said the air quality will improve if smokers are "understanding and cooperative" in obeying the new regulation.

To inform the community of the new rules, McCarthy has sent out e-mail messages to the heads of the departments housed in Boylston who will relay the message to students and other staff members. She said she will also post no-smoking signs at the stairs. As for future action, "we'll just have to see how things work out," she said.

McCarthy tried having filters installed in the ventilation units to keep the smoke out of the building but this was not effective.

Eric R. O'bryan, department administrator for the comparative literature department, said he smells smoke and other odors, like car exhaust, when he is in his office on the west side of the basement floor,

But he said he thinks larger changes to the ventilation system would be necessary to really fix the problem.

The "ventilation draws whatever's out there," he said.

He suggested moving the position of the vent and to slow the ventilation, measures that "will cost money."

Avraham S. Steinberg '02 said the new rule "isn't the worse thing in the world, but I think the smoking should stay." Although he does not smoke, he said he thinks "the Boylston steps are a place of international flavor."

But Brian S. Levine '02 said the limitation on smoking is "not a problem."

Marla King, Harvard Yard Operations Manager of Academic Buildings, said the University's policymakers have no formal policy regarding smoking outdoors, but they do want people to be courteous.

Of the new regulation, she said, "I think it will help." But she said smoking continues near the Science Center and the Holyoke Center despite the "no smoking" signs there.