NataliaKeogan

ProfessorBosch
EnterpriseDraft
5/4/15
BlowingoffSteam:NewPaltzStudentsandCigaretteSmoking
IsabellaIodice,afreshmanatSUNYNewPaltz,walksaroundhercrampeddorm,
diggingthroughtheclutter.Shepicksthroughanimposingheapofclothesatthefootofherbed
withalookofdesperationonherface.
WherethehelldidIputthem,shemumbleswhilehurriedlysearchingthroughthemass
ofuniquelypatternedclothes.Gotem!shesays,fishingagrungyflannelshirtfromthedepths
ofthepile.ShepullsapackofMarlboroMentholsoutofthepocketandrushesoutthedoor.As
soonasshesoutside,sheplucksaslightlybentcigaretteoutofthepackandlightsup.
NowIcanreallystartmyday,shesayswhiletakingadrag.
Iodiceishardlyalone,andalthoughSUNYNewPaltzhasapolicythatprohibitssmoking
within50feetofbuildings,andapackofcigarettescostsawhoppingaverageof$14inNew
YorkState,amultitudeofstudentscontinuetopuffaway.
WhileSUNYNewPaltzoffersnostatisticsconcerningtherateofcigarettesmokingon
campus,theCenterforDiseaseControl(CDC)statedthatin2013,thelargestgroupofsmokers
intheU.S.byagewere1824yearolds,at18.7percentoftheoverallpopulation.
AccordingtoTheNationalInstituteonDrugAbuse,thenumberofcollegesmokerswas
slightlyhigher,at20percentin2013.Whilethisnumberhasdeclinedsignificantlysince2001

when30percentsmoked,nicotineremainsoneofthemajordrugsofchoiceoncollege
campuses.
AccordingtotheCDC,mostadultsaged1824startedsmokinginhighschool,with
factorssuchaspeerpressureandfamilialsmokinghabitsoftenbeingcontributors.Butthereare
manystudentsatSUNYNewPaltzwhowaiteduntilcollegetohavetheirfirstcigarette.
Whilethemyththatcigarettescanalleviatestresshasbeencontinuouslydebunkedbythe
CDCandotherindependentresearchers,thisideacontinuestooccupythepsychesofstudents.
Justonecigarettetohelpcopewithmidtermstresscanturnintoapackortwoaweek
addictioninthecourseofasemester.
IbarelyeversmokewhenImnotinNewPaltz,saidIodice.Ifeellikethisismy
smokersbubblenowhereelsedoIfeelthismuchdesiretoconstantlybesmoking.
Thehighrateofcollegestudentsmokersisnotsurprisingconsideringthetypicalcampus
lifestyle.ResearchbyTheNationalInstituteonDrugAbusehasdemonstratedthatin
environmentswherealcoholanddrugconsumptionisprevalent,impairedjudgementsarise.The
alreadylargenumberofsmokersoncampuscombinedwiththestressesofcollegelifeandthe
perceivedneedtousestimulantstostayawakeduringcrunchtime,havetheresultthatmany
studentsendupgettinghookedonsmoking.
ThereareafewaspectsofNewPaltzthatcouldspecificallycreateawelcoming
environmentforstudentsmokers,suchashavingforeignexchangestudentsfromAsiancountries
withhigherratesofsmoking(analarmingaverageof60.6percentofChinesecollegestudents
smoke)andageneralaccessibilitytothetownwherecigarettescanbebought.

Theyoungeryouare,themoreinvincibleyouthinkyouare,saidBeverlyO'Brien,a
nurseattheSUNYNewPaltzHealthCenter.
OBrienrevealedthatmanyailmentsstudentsroutinelyreportattheHealthCenterare
aggravatedbysmokingeventhecommoncoldismoreaggressiveinsmokersduetoa
compromisedimmunesystem.Yetlessthanhalfofadozenstudentsayearcomeseeking
medicalhelpwithquitting,despitetheHealthCenterhavinganantismokingprogramsinplace.
Still,manystudentsmokersclaimthatquittingisintheirfuture,andtheoddsmightbein
theirfavor.TheCDCrevealedthatthereisasteadydecreaseinsmokersbyeducationlevel.For
instance,20.9percentofthosewhoonlycompletesomecollegeeducationsmoke,comparedto
9.1percentofthosewhoobtainanundergraduatedegree.Thiscutstheoriginalstatisticof20
percentbymorethanhalf.So,thereseemstobesomethingaboutcollegecampuslifethat
increasestheoddsofsmoking,whilegraduatingandmovingintoaprofessionalfieldmotivates
manytoquit.
OfcourseIplanonquitting,saidIodicewhileputtingouthercigarettewiththeheels
ofherbeatenupDocMartens.Idontreallyconsidermyselfaddicted,anyway.