As part of the N.C. Tobacco Free Colleges initiative, students from around the state submitted Tweets for your Sweet—short messages that they would send to someone they cared about to encourage them to quit smoking.

Alyssa Hall, a junior at UNCW, won first place with her entry, “Plz stop smoking, I’m not joking! 1-800-QUIT NOW is the # u need 2 dial, they’ll help u quit, it’ll b worthwhile! =)”

Seniors Larren Kluttz and Amanda Higgins were the runners up. Kluttz’s slogan was, “U r smoking hot…without a cigarette, call 1-800-QUIT NOW,” and Higgins’ was, “Me + U= =), U + tobacco (toxic chemicals x a lot) =Death, Me – U= =(, let’s grow old 2gether<3, 1-800-QUIT NOW."

“We are always looking for student input to help drive policy and impact health,” said Geoff Zuckerman, Tobacco Free Colleges coordinator. “We know how addictive tobacco is, and we are working to help those who wish to quit.”

Tobacco use is increasing only in the 18 to 24 age group, according to Zuckerman.

Students from 10 schools participated in the campaign. “UNCW had by far the best response from any school,” Zuckerman said, “about 50 entries.”

Community colleges and private colleges have the option to go 100 percent smoke free — a total ban of tobacco products anywhere on campus. Cape Fear Community College went smoke free in 2009 and to date more than half of the community colleges in the state are 100 percent smoke free.

UNC-system schools have the option of a 100-foot maximum smoke free perimeter around buildings. UNCW’s current policy is 25 feet, but a petition is circulating with more than 100 signatures to increase the smoke free zone to the maximum area allowed, according to Zuckerman.

The N.C. Tobacco Free Colleges Initiative was started five years ago and grew out of the project to make all N.C. high schools tobacco-free, which they now are. “We are working to get all community colleges and private schools to do the same. As well as 100 feet smoke free for UNC schools.” The initiative is funded by the N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund.

Resources like QuitlineNC.com and 1-800-QUIT-NOW provide free nicotine replacement therapy to college students trying to quit tobacco. The 2010 Surgeon General’s report states, “When smokers quit, the risk for a heart attack drops sharply after just one year; 1 stroke risk can fall to about the same as a nonsmoker’s after 2-5 years; risks for cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half after 5 years; and the risk for dying of lung cancer drops by half after 10 years.”

“Quitting at any age and at any time is beneficial,” the report states. “It’s never too late to quit, but the sooner the better.”