Here’s some good news to share during National Non-Smoking Week: according to a recent Health Canada report, Canadian youth are smoking less than ever. The most recent figures, from 2005, show that 26 per cent of those 20-24 years old smoke-the lowest percentage in two decades (and two per cent lower than the 2004 figure).
This shift is testament to the effectiveness of many health and anti-tobacco campaigns that have dramatically increased in number over the past few decades.
Of course, “smoking less” means that there are still youth who do smoke. In fact, those between 20 and 24 years old have historically had the highest smoking rates of all age groups. What is it about this stage in life that leads people to smoke? Why is it that, at a time when people often are working through their last leg of schooling, they are also attracted to those little white sticks?
Perhaps the answer is in the question. After all, university life is infamous for being particularly taxing and nerve-wracking. The nicotine found in cigarettes is a stimulant that increases the alertness and mental performance of the user. At the same time, people also report experiencing relaxing effects after nicotine use. Consequently, when cigarettes provide such positive reinforcement for smokers, it is definitely difficult to consider quitting. For a smoker, a cigarette with the morning coffee can seem like a great way to face that 9 a.m. exam, and a couple of puffs after a hard day can be incredibly soothing.
It has been suggested that a person can develop an addiction as an indirect result of seeking stability in his or her life. As detrimental as it may sound, smoking places users in a state of pseudo-control, in that smokers have the “power” to light up a cigarette when they wish to.
The frenzied lifestyle of the typical student-hectic courseloads, part-time jobs, extra-curricular activities-can often leave one feeling drained and vulnerable. Enter the cigarette: energy and power wrapped up in a neat and portable package! As a result, the harried student finds solace in smoking and is less likely to stop, even if he or she understands the hazardous health effects of the cigarettes.
Not helping the situation is U of T’s embarrassingly archaic smoking policy, which hasn’t been updated in ten years. Under the university policy, smoking areas can be designated in residences or campus pubs. But the Smoke-Free Ontario Act of 2005 strictly prohibits smoking in any public place, including university residences and pubs. Obviously, a provincial acts trump any outdated university document, yet our university’s neglect to revise its policy reveals its lax and unacceptable approach to addressing the significant health and social concern that is smoking on campus.
Other campuses across Canada have recognized the importance of curbing cigarette use by staff and students, and have implemented various strategies to do just that. Many schools, including Ryerson, Oshawa’s UOIT, and the University of Calgary, prohibit smoking within set distances of building entrances. Dalhousie University has the admirable distinction of being the first Canadian university to declare its property, both indoor and outdoor, entirely smoke-free. According to Casey Beecroft, Campus Program Coordinator of the student-run Leave the Pack Behind, studies have shown that where such bans exist, the quit success rates increase.
Holding these encouraging developments as examples, it is not too late for Canada’s largest university to take heed and make some serious changes to its campus policies that will make smoking a less attractive option for students and help those struggling to quit.
In spite of the lack of action by U of T admin, there is a great deal of on-campus support for students, including Leave the Pack Behind, which provides general assistance and encouragement for smokers considering quitting, and the Nicotine Dependence Clinic of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (conveniently located near Spadina and College).
With the support of smoking-cessation programs which include stress reduction and lifestyle counseling, students certainly can kick the habit, so to speak. And that’s good news for everyone, smokers and non-smokers alike.
