Andrew Kleinschmidt

Tim Kelley

ENT- 436

September 29, 2019

Nicotine Addiction at Grand Canyon University

1. What problem are you trying to solve?

The problem I am trying to solve at Grand Canyon University (GCU) is to end nicotine addiction
across the on-campus student body. This demographic includes the 20,500 students that currently
live on campus (GCU, 2018). College is the prime time for young adults to try tobacco products,
which could lead to a lifelong dependence of nicotine (Rigotti, Lee & Wechsler, 2000). So, by
solving the problem of nicotine addiction, individuals will not have to live with the effects that
nicotine has on the body.
2. Who will be affected by the problem?
The people that will be affected by the problem are the students that are addicted to nicotine.
Whether that be through using an e-cigarette like a vape, Juul, NJOY, and Sourin, or through
cigarettes. The students that are addicted to these nicotine products can potentially go through
withdrawal symptoms that can be hard to go through at the beginning.
3. To what degree will the group identified be affected?
There will be major affects at the beginning when trying to quit smoking. The first 7-10 days will
be the hardest part of trying to quit. These individuals can experience “sweating, nausea,
constipation, headaches, coughing, sore throat, anxiety, irritability, and depression” (Maryville,
2018). So, it will be difficult at the beginning, but after the six-month mark, individuals should
be feeling great.
4. What are some possible solutions to the problem?
There are many possible solutions to end nicotine addiction for students at GCU. One major
solution is to offer a program on campus that is designed to help individuals stop smoking. This
program can include text services that send tips, motivational quotes and encouragement to quit.
The program can also come with professionals that will set up plans to help an individual quit
smoking. Another possible solution is to have councilors at GCU that can aid in the help with
quitting. They would help a student find their triggers and help them get through the cravings of
wanting to smoke. To hire a behavioral therapist, GCU would pay roughly $44,600 annually for
them to be full-time.
5. What are some of the initial constraints?
The biggest initial constraint would be to get GCU to allow these possible solutions to come into
effect. Although GCU is a smoke-free campus, there are thousands of students that have an
addiction to nicotine that need to quit. So, to get GCU to approve of these solutions would be the
hardest initial constraint. Another constraint would be to actually get individuals to use these
resources to help them quit. There can be a lot of shame in admitting that you are addicted, so
making sure students don’t feel judged or ashamed of using these resources would be a
constraint.
6. What are some possible variants to the design challenge? EXPAND TO OTHER PLACES
When looking to reframe the design challenge to help GCU students addicted to nicotine quit,
looking at solutions that are more cost effective could be beneficial. Another change would be to
see how this demographic would like to be supported in their journey of quitting. So, instead of
having to sit down with a counselor, they could talk over the phone with the counselor. This
would cost GCU less and make the individual more comfortable not having to talk face to face.
 References

GCU. (2018). GCU campus surpasses 20,000 in enrollment. Retrieved from:

https://news.gcu.edu/2018/08/gcu-campus-surpasses-20000-in-enrollment/

Maryville University. (2018). Smoking among college students. The Fast Impact of Quitting
Smoking. Retrived from: https://online.maryville.edu/healthcare-degrees/smoking-
among-college-students/

Rigotti NA, Lee JE, Wechsler H. (2000). US college students' use of tobacco products: Results of a
National Survey. JAMA. 2000;284(6):699–705. doi:10.1001/jama.284.6.699. Retrieved from:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/192969

Study. (2019). Behavior therapist education requirements and career information. Retrieved
from: https://study.com/behavior_therapist.html