Great American Smokeout puts special focus on college students

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By MIKE LaFAVE

Story Created: Nov 19, 2009 at 4:28 PM EST

Story Updated: Nov 19, 2009 at 5:22 PM EST

UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Kicking the habit - that's the goal of the Great American Smokeout, with a special focus on college campuses this year.

Colleges for change is a state funding program that aims to de-normalize tobacco use on campus. Research is showing that the 18-24 year old demographic is the only sector of the population who's smoking rates is on the rise.

Amanda Cady, the director of the program, said that with college students, scare tactics come in handy.

"You have to take a different approach with college students," Cady said. "If we to come in here and hand out pamphlets and say smoking is bad for you, it would do nothing. So, we've set up the display where we picked up cigarette butts around campus and dropped them in a tank of water to show the effects on ground water. You really have to use a scare tactic to get their attention...something disgusting."

Utica College has started a smoking cessation program where students can get patches, gum and coaching on how to quit smoking.

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