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Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: News

It's known to cause emphysema, lung cancer, osteoporosis and premature aging of the skin. The culprit is smoking, and regardless of its health hazards, many college students continue to feed the habit.

According to a report issued by the American Lung Association earlier this month, 1 in 5 college students smokes cigarettes. The American Lung Association partly blames the tobacco industry, which spent more than $1 million a day in 2005 marketing on college campuses.

Antoine McKnight, a 24-year-old college student from Utica, said he started smoking a year ago to manage the anxieties of being a college student and an employee. "A lot of money is on the line for our classes, and people smoke to cope with the stress of classes and living," McKnight said.

Utica College's former Director of Gerontology, Dr. Ronald Lucchino, who now teaches Biology of Aging, says that stress may be a cause, but it's not the only one.
"Gender and cultural differences are an important consideration," Lucchino said.

"Many people have their reasons, such as pleasure after eating or drinking, etc. I do not think it is peer pressure, although advertisements may have some influence. We know that the brain matures as we age, so there may be a link between brain development and smoking for young adults."

As told by McKnight, some college students smoke to deal with the stress of college, such as the stress associated with important exams. However, Lucchino advises against smoking before big tests. "When one smokes, the carbon monoxide enters the blood. This reduces one's mental acuity, slowing their thought processes down. Smoking before an exam is not a good idea if you want to remain alert."

Smoking is restricted in some areas on campus, such as in residence halls. Director of Residence Life Emily Balcom said that anyone who smokes in the residence halls is violating school policies. "Violations such as these are documented and forwarded to the student disciplinary process," Balcom said.

But even though students must go outside to the designated smoking areas if they want to light up, or else face being penalized, it doesn't seem to sway the 1 in 5 students who smoke to quit.

Director of Student Activities Paul Lehmann said it would be a good idea for someone to start a club on campus dedicated solely to offering moral support for Utica College students who are trying to quit smoking.

If college students want a better quality of life in their older age, Lucchino said, they need to quit as young as possible. Quitting now would mean being able to see one's grandchildren grow up, better breathing, being able to taste food, not smelling like smoke, and being able to exercise more easily.

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