SUNY Adirondack offering workshops to help students quit smoking before campus goes tobacco-free

QUEENSBURY For SUNY Adirondack students who smoke, the gazebos on campus offer a safe haven.

I come out here to enjoy my smoke after all the stress from school, said Whitney Morehouse of Lake George.

Morehouse also likes the chance to socialize with other smokers.

Theres so many people that I dont see on a regular basis that Ill see out here, she said.

The gazebos are the colleges only designated smoking areas, but that will change in the fall when the campus goes tobacco-free.

The Board of Trustees in December voted to move forward with the plan to prohibit cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco and electronic cigarettes from campus. The decision brings the college in line with a SUNY goal of getting all campuses smoke-free.

College officials are stressing education instead of punishment and are hosting workshops next week for students and staff looking to snuff their smoking habits. The first workshop will start at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 19 in the Miller Auditorium of Dearlove Hall. A second workshop is slated for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 20.

Some students dont plan to attend the sessions. Tricia Pratt, of Wilton, said she has been smoking for 25 years and doesnt plan to quit.

Ive figured its my only bad habit, she said.

It is a habit brought on by stress, say smokers, and its hard to stop.

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SUNY Adirondack offering workshops to help students quit smoking before campus goes tobacco-free