When I first saw what chapter 7 was about my first thought was “I wonder if any of my classmates are thinking of me because of the tobacco aspect and my health goal!”
Chapter 7 may be relatable for the majority of us college students. One of the biggest struggles college students face when moving into college is balancing their academics and their social life. Let’s face it, college life is very different then being in high school because you’re finally on your own and away from home but for some the freedom can be very dangerous “For some students, independence is symbolized by alcohol use” It has been reported that 40% of college students partake in binge drinking and it is more than likely that most students who drink may be unaware that they are binge drinking and may not even know what it is. Someone may only drink once a week but if they consume 4-5 or more drinks that one time they drink, that is considered to be binge drinking so of course it is better that people are educated. College students are more on the spectrum to evolving alcohol related problems and particularly because of the new environment they are in. Traditional celebrations encourage drinking within the student population, particularly pregaming can be dangerous although it is known to be a common thing that people do before going to a club, sporting event, etc. When pregaming some may decide to have drinking games which can also be very dangerous, students are less likely to monitor their drinking and become intoxicated quickly at a dangerous level. When consuming a large amount of alcohol in such little time, this can increase ones risks for alcohol poisoning, violent acts, passing out, driving drunk, aggression, unintended sexual activity, and forced sexual activity. Students who drink regularly may start to notice a fall in their academic performance as well, their sleep gets disrupted and their REM sleep is decreased which leads to a decrease in their alertness and can negatively affect their academic performance. Some colleges are putting in more effort to try and put a stop to student drinking, having help available to students whom believe they may have a drinking problem and this is called “Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS)” plus some colleges also offer online help for students struggling. Overall, the drinking stigma on college campuses will more than likely always be an issue but it is relieving to see the help that is becoming available.
Tobacco Use in the United States
Nicotine Addiction is unfortunately a very common addiction in most Americans, walk down the street and count the amount of people you see smoking some type of nicotine device or cigarette and you will be shocked of course me being one of those smokers /: Nicotine can cause very uncomfortable effects with just that first puff and this is known as nicotine poisoning these symptoms include dizziness, lightheadedness, rapid and erratic pulse, clammy skin, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and I can tell you first hand from experience this is 100000000% accurate. Nicotine for some can be very mind altering, it is known to have its physical effects but its psychological effects are equally just has bad. The psychological aspect can even lead some ex-smokers vulnerability to sensory stimuli or environmental cues years after they have quit. Problems that some smokers have with quitting is the weight aspect, nicotine is an appetite suppressant and can increase the basal metabolic rate. When someone lights a cigarette, their metabolism increases and then it will return to normal so when a smoker quits their metabolic rate will slow down and soon their appetite will return and for some smokers this may prevent them from quitting because they enjoy not eating as much as they typically would. The financial burden that smoking puts on us smokers is honestly depressing to think about, knowing how much money I spend or have spent on cigarettes is crazy. It has been shown that annual costs attributed to smoking in the United States are estimated somewhere between $289 billion and $333 billion. When it comes to college students and smoking, men have a higher rate of smoking (13 percent) when a survey was composed and students were asked how many of their peers have smoked cigarettes they estimated about 75% students had smoked in the past 30 days. Males also have a higher rate of using cigars and smokeless tobacco. College students smoke for the obvious reason to relax or reduce stress (I know thats why I did) other reasons are, weight control, fitting in and addiction. Students may classify themselves as social smokers and only smoke when they are out on the weekends, personally from experience I remember being very annoyed with social smokers because they would smoke all your cigarettes, constantly ask you for one but then they were the ones during the week criticizing you for smoking. Smoking has countless harmless effects on the human body such as increasing heart rate and respiratory rates, constricting blood vessels which leads to higher blood pressure because ones heart is working harder to pump the blood through narrowed vessels. New products have been put on the market that promote a healthier smoking but still that has it’s negative effects on the human body. Unfortunately smoking has become a very normal trend within americans and guilty myself, they are very addicting and trying to quit may be one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.
So, that leads me to my progress during this week..
I still have a cold this week, not as bad but it is still there so I have really noticed that the best thing I got out of being sick is being less intrigued to have a cigarette because it honestly causes me pain. Also reading this chapter and hearing all the side effects, I mean of course I was aware of the harm I am doing to my body and I always have been but reading it can be really difficult and overwhelming. Some things I have noticed that have been working for me this week is everytime I crave a cigarette, I will do something else to occupy my time and not just anything but something that will give me that productive feeling so I feel even better about not having that cigarette and then eventually it will become a habit. Going to bars or going out with friends that I know smoke cigarettes is still a very big struggle when it comes to me trying to quit because there are a large amount of triggers around me but that is something I just have to overcome in this process. Overall, as I say every week I really am not where I want to be at the current moment but I am trying and that’s what is most important to me in this journey.
Also, side note I really appreciate everyone’s supportive words even when I don’t have a productive week of quitting cigarettes. You guys are the best and I can’t thank you enough for all of your support.
Lizzys Truth 