ORANGE JOURNALISM: A juicy JR134 class project

One of the biggest fads on campus does not come as the latest electronic gadget or an eccentric style of clothing, but as a paper-wrapped cylinder stuffed with tobacco, otherwise known as a cigarette. It is anything but new, but nevertheless remains an ever-increasing trend among college students, and one that can be seen on this campus.

For anyone taking a stroll on the university grounds on an average weekday, it is most often inevitable to spot smokers lounging in corners or by department buildings. There are specific areas which have been implicitly dubbed "smoking zones," such as around the benches in front of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, where students can be seen in between breaks inhaling the fumes of cigarettes.

Unlike Uggs boots and iPods, smoking is a trend that carries many detrimental health risks, as the general public is aware. According to a well-known anti-smoking campaign called Truth, "About one-third of youth smokers will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease."

The tobacco industry is required to have a "Surgeon General's Warning" printed on their packaging, to keep smokers informed on the potential consequences. Despite the warnings, a large number of students continue to smoke. The reasons students smoke vary among individuals. However, Wiggsy Sivertsen, the Director of SJSU Counseling Services, believes that it usually stems from a desire to fit in among peers. Talking in regards to the current generation of college students, Sivertsen said, "They smoke for the same reasons we used to smoke, it's 'cool.'...I look at them and go, 'Do you have any idea how dumb you look?'" She also added, "I think there is a lot of peer pressure. If you come from a family or group of friends who smoke, it can be hard not to smoke. It becomes like, 'I'm going to smoke so you will accept me.''' She believes that the media is also an influence on the youth of this country, with famous actors making the act of smoking look "stylish."

San Jose State graduate Nino Palana said, "At first I smoked to be cool or look older, I guess, but I was in the 7^th grade...[In college] I saw it as a stress reliever. The more I was frustrated, the more I smoked, so I guess one contributed to another." Some student smokers also argue that smoking is in fact no longer an attempt to look cool, but as a means of handling stress. "I always tell myself I'm going to quit, but I also tell myself that I'm young, I can quit tomorrow, but when I do quit, I get stressed out and smoke another cigarette, and the cycle begins again...,"an anonymous student said.

However, there are students who consciously choose not to smoke, despite the popularity. San Jose State Senior Timothy Hughes, a former smoker, commented, "When I started smoking I lost all my energy and gained nothing...I stunk all the time, had bad breath, and my teeth started turning yellow...disgusting." Hughes went on to that he does not believe there are any effective ways to stop it. "People have to choose not to...there is nothing I can do...it doesn't matter how much you warn someone about something, they are going to do what they want to do." Palana also held this opinion, as he said, "It's their choice. We can no longer blame the tobacco industry for advertising to children or to us. There are so many PSAs (Public Service Advertisements) out there and people now have the knowledge about the risk factors of smoking."

According to therapist James Middleton, having the knowledge is not the main issue. "Most smokers are pretty intelligent, and understand the dangers to themselves, yet continue to smoke." He added, "As a former smoker myself I can attest to the terrible hold the addiction had on me."

Another mental health specialist, John Rieger, believes that the reason youth turn to smoking is that it is "a means of covering up the emotions that they feel they can't express or deal with." He also went on to say, "If they didn't smoke, what would they feel? Not cool, not accepted, not wanted, not loved...if they can't or don't want to deal with the real reasons they feel that way, they find a quick fix any way they can."

Sivertsen does not believe that a lot of the campaigns that are out there to encourage students to stop smoking are very effective, but that students who stop smoking tend to stop for personal reasons, such as having family and friends who show concern.

With 11 known human carcinogens found in cigarettes, it is not surprising that the rise in cigarette smoking for this generation has sparked alarm and concern.

Students who wish to receive help with quitting can stop by the Counseling Services, which is open Mondays through Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Orange Journalism:
A class project by the students of Journalism 134, Online In-depth Reporting, Fall 2006, with Dr. Richard Craig.