Published 2002-10-09T00:00:00Z”/>

Sarah Schaale<br>Staff Writer

With the new smoking policy set to launch immediately, students have yet another reason not to light up between classes – a free, on-campus class on how to quit.

The new policy prohibits smoking in all university facilities and within 25 feet of building doorways windows, breezeways and awnings. Those in violation of the new policy can be cited by University Police and will be subject to disciplinary measures.

Dr. John Roussell, an assistant professor in instructional technology, is the project coordinator for “Graduate to a Smoke-Free Future.” The project targets students between 18 and 24 years old and combines the effective tactics used at high school and post-graduate levels to help college students quit smoking.

Chico State University is the only school so far to have such a project that will also be free to students, Roussell said.

“We’re having more and more regulations against smoking, so we think the university should play a part in helping the students quit,” he said.

Roussell received a $90,000 grant in August 2001 from the American Lung Association to fund the three-year project.

Last year, focus groups were formed to determine what college students need to quit smoking. The groups consisted of more than 30 students, including smokers who have successfully quit and those who haven’t.

This is the second year, and each semester at least 12 students will be paid to go through the seven-week course. The classes offered now are an experiment to see what will work and what won’t. Roussell said the hardest part is giving students a reason to quit.

“With adults, a lot of times they want to quit because they have children,” Roussell said. “With (college students), a lot of the physical effects aren’t noticeable yet.”

Bruce Baldwin, a health educator with Butte County Office of Education and a Chico State graduate, is responsible for running the Tuesday-night class. After smoking for 25 years, Baldwin is determined to create material that will help college-age students quit.

“There’s no easy answers for students trying to quit smoking, but we’re going to try things that will hopefully work for them,” Baldwin said.

Those things do not include the usual pictures of dying, blackened lungs and shocking statistics. Baldwin plans to bring in yoga, acupuncture, exercise and physical activities “specific for the Joe Camel population.”

The students in the class are scheduled to quit smoking Oct. 22. Baldwin said the first couple of weeks are used to build motivation.

“Nicotine addictions are very powerful,” Baldwin said. “You need to prepare.”

The last four weeks of the class are used to share experiences and talk about what the students are going through.

If a smoker can make it through the first three weeks after quitting, their chances of staying smoke-free go up almost 75 percent, Baldwin said.

“If even a third of this group becomes nonsmokers, I would be ecstatic,” he said. “I am confident that the class will meet or exceed statistical norms.”

Baldwin said he hopes to get the students’ friends involved to help them in situations like wanting a cigarette at a bar or a party.

After the trial runs are completed next spring, the program will be ready to kick off as one big package that can be used at colleges nationwide. Chico State will be one of those schools to offer the class at no cost.

The class will be advertised on campus as they come up in the spring and fall semesters.

Kerry Brennan signed up for the class after encouraged by her friends.

“I just saw it as having only good things come of it,” Brennan said. “You get $100 for your time, and you’re in a program that’s trying to help you quit. I thought I better do it now.”

Brennan said she found a lot of the students had similar stories and concerns during the first meeting Oct. 1. She said it was nice to hear other people in the same situation.

Brennan wants to quit for health reasons and because nonsmokers around her aren’t fans of her habit. She doesn’t anticipate it being easy.

“I’ve tried before,” Brennan said. “It’s hard. You get really crabby and on edge. This class is supposed to be a social support system.”

Brennan said she thinks bringing in the different methods to help quit shows that the instructors understand her worries. She said she hopes being able to pick and choose will result in finding something that works for her.

Kevin Whillock, a Chico State senior in the class, said he thinks the class will benefit from not just telling students smoking is bad for them.

“I think it will really deal with what it is set out to do,” Whillock said. “We have a good group of people and I think we’ll all be able to help each other out.”

<em>Sarah Schaale can be reached at <a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a></em>