Members of Mansfield College JCR have voted to continue to
allow students to smoke in the college bar. Passions were raised amid divided opinion between those who
believe smoking is an inalienable individual right and those who
support the ban because of the detrimental effects of passive
smoking. The current JCR policy won a vote with a majority of 63
votes to 44. The vote has checked a growing trend to ban smoking in public
places. Early this term, smoking was prohibited in Teddy Hall
JCR. On Tuesday the Health Secretary, John Reid, angered
anti-smoking groups by saying smoking is one of the few pleasures
the poor had left. He said, “The only enjoyment sometimes
that they have is to have a cigarette.”ARCHIVE: 6th week TT 2004