Alexandra Lozano
Staff Writer
Many college campuses are experiencing an increase in student smokers.
“I never tried (smoking), so I wanted to try it out of high school,” said Jen Aguilar, a freshman criminology major who started smoking in July. “College is full of experiences, so I wanted to experience it.”
According to the Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium, more than a quarter of college students smoke.
In a study conducted by Harvard University, the number of college smokers has increased by 28 percent from 1993 to 1999.
TTAC suggests that the increased in student smokers may be caused by stress or the sudden freedom from parents to make decisions.
There has also been an increase in the amount of cigar smoking on campuses.
“I like cigars more than cigarettes,” Aguilar said. “I like them because they’re fatter.”
Aguilar, like many others, has taken a liking to Prime Time cigarillos. She enjoys the cherry and strawberry flavored cigars.
In addition to cherry and strawberry, these mini-cigars are flavored with vanilla, raspberry, rum, chocolate mint, spearmint or cinnamon. Prime Time cigarillos are commonly sold in individual tubes at local convenience stores.
Aguilar said she noticed more people smoking now than at the beginning of the school year.
Junior psychology major Kori Bennett disagrees. She hasn’t noticed an increase in smokers on campus.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a survey of 119 four-year universities and 14,138 students, found that 32.9 percent of students currently use some form of tobacco.
Though Bennett isn’t concerned about the health problems linked to smoking personally, she is for others.
The American Cancer Society reports that people who inhale when smoking cigars have a chance of dying from lung cancer 11 times greater than non-smokers, making cigar smoking much riskier.
Bennette has been smoking for four years and smokes about a pack a week.
“I always liked the smell (of smoking),” Bennett said. “I wanted to decrease anxiety.”
Bennett admits that she started smoking out of stupidity but unlike Aguilar, Bennett has not turned to cigar smoking.
Alexandra Lozano can be reached at himelozano@juno.com.
