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GREENSBORO – College campuses across North Carolina participated Thursday in the 33rd annual Great American Smokeout. Health professionals say college may be the place where many young people start to smoke, so they thought it would also be a good place to concentrate their efforts.

Students and health service workers manned booths to try and help smokers kick the habit.

“One of my friends is a smoker, and I don't like that she smokes, and I keep trying to help her, but my advice isn't working,” said student Haley Anderson, who stopped at one of the booths.

And health workers at the university level say it's more likely for young adults to take up smoking after they come to college.

“One of the biggest triggers of smoking is stress, and a lot of college students – let's face it – are stressed out,” Jason Robertson, a tobacco counselor with Student Health Services, said.

Some studies show nearly half of college students had tried tobacco in the past year, and over 28 percent currently smoke.

“Mark Twain pretty much said it best. He said, 'Quitting is easy. I've done it 1,000 times,'” Robertson said. “And that's true. The average college student or about anyone trying to quit, it takes them about seven times to be successful.”

And even students who weren't smokers stopped by the display to pick up some free stop-smoking products and advice for helping friends.