University prepares to go tobacco-free
鈥婳n Aug. 1, 黑料视频 will become tobacco-free. 鈥淣o smoking鈥 will be expanded to include 鈥渘o vaping, no hookahs, no chewing and no snus,鈥 as all tobacco and tobacco-derived products intended for human consumption will be prohibited from use on University property.
Those who best understand how difficult this will be are smokers, former smokers and Geraldine Britton, PhD 鈥04, assistant professor of nursing who launched the nearly 10 years ago. 鈥淣icotine withdrawal symptoms, and the fear of withdrawal symptoms, are very real,鈥 she says. 鈥淣icotine addiction is a disease. People haven鈥檛 always thought of it that way, but it鈥檚 a disease and it should be treated by providers.鈥
In advance of the new policy, the University has stepped up efforts to provide education and resources for those seeking to quit or decrease use of tobacco products.
One of the resources is the within the Decker School of Nursing (Academic B, Room 331), a joint project of Decker and ITURP, staffed by nurse practitioners and nursing students. It provides health assessment and tobacco-free support to faculty, staff and students, including nicotine replacement therapy and counseling.
The physical side of nicotine addiction is just part of the problem. 鈥淭here are psychological and social aspects of tobacco use that add to the addiction. These are interrelated and intertwined, which makes the challenge of nicotine addiction really unique,鈥 says Joyce Rhodes-Keefe 鈥82, MS 鈥08, clinical assistant professor of nursing at Binghamton.
For instance, some international students may find the University鈥檚 tobacco-free policy particularly tough because, in their culture, smoking is the norm. 鈥淪ome nations consider it offensive if you do not partake in smoking. It鈥檚 considered as a welcome to put cigarettes out for guests,鈥 she says.
鈥淲e are not forcing anybody to quit,鈥 Rhodes-Keefe adds. 鈥淲e are here to provide services as they initiate the process.鈥
The Healthy Practices Clinic not only looks at tobacco use but at healthy behaviors, as well. And Rhodes-Keefe expects a lot of data to be gathered about both. 鈥淪ince we are very much geared to research, we鈥檙e looking at having that data and then being able to analyze it for trends, as well as have the ability to develop and provide better tobacco-use education and services,鈥 she says.