It's no secret that cigarettes are harmful to your health. According to Dr. Robert N. Proctor (Stanford), we have known this since the '40s. We probably all know of someone in our lives who has gotten lung cancer, emphysema, or asthma because of cigarette use. We, as young people, have the power to put an end to this.

And yet, coming to college has made it crystal clear that this epidemic is nowhere near its end.

I remember my first experience with cigarettes in college. Being a performer and an active person means that the health of my lungs is very important. I do want to take time to say that my intention is not to shame or judge people who smoke. However, I cannot stand the feeling of being around cigarette smoke. You can imagine my frustration when I was trapped behind a group of smoking teens. Unfortunately, that was not the end of my experiences.

When I was a freshman, I encountered a scene where almost everyone around me was smoking a cigarette. I asked why and was given the answer "it makes me feel good". While that might be true for that moment in time, that effect will not last. In fact, Truth (an organization that is working hard to make US the generation that ends smoking) states that "smoking causes stress". People outside of colleges may not be aware of this next point. When speaking with my peers, I came to notice a pattern. Most people that I spoke with stated that they "only smoked while or after consuming alcohol". It is my understanding that the reasoning behind this is that the cigarette elevates the feeling of the effects of the alcohol.

It is helpful if you make yourself aware of the policy on your campus. For instance, at Virginia Tech, all smoking must be done at least 20 feet from every building. Obviously, smoking is banned inside all buildings on campus. At Virginia Tech, The Student Government Association offers an initiative called "Smoke-Free VT". The goal of this initiative is to spread awareness about the health and environmental impacts on campus. There you can find a petition to make Virginia Tech a smoke-free campus.

With that, I will leave you with a quote from Truth. "WE'RE NOT HERE TO CRITICIZE YOUR CHOICES, OR TELL YOU NOT TO SMOKE. WE'RE HERE TO ARM EVERYONE – SMOKERS AND NON-SMOKERS – WITH THE TOOLS TO MAKE CHANGE."

For more information on the movement to stop cigarettes, visit www.thetruth.com