Great American Smoke Out Day marked by USU

As part of the Great American Smoke Out, an effort made on campuses across the country to help young people quit smoking, the Student Health and Wellness Center has been promoting healthy lifestyles and trying to help people end their reliance on tobacco.

On Wednesday outside of the Taggart Student Center, pamphlets and “quit kits” were being offered to those who were interested in helping themselves, friends or family members quit smoking.

“It’s hard for smokers to quit smoking and we are trying to make them aware that services are available,” said Ashlee Cooper, tobacco coordinator and health educator at USU’s Student Health and Wellness Center. “Many want to quit, but smoking is a stress release for them. We want to promote better ways to relieve stress.”

Cooper said they saw a good turnout Wednesday. Their table was set up on the TSC Patio where she said a number of people seemed offended by their message and display. Many sit and smoke on the patio and Cooper said they simply wanted to remind them of the many students who pass through the area and do not like walking through cigarette smoke.

“This is a high-traffic area and people don’t like walking through the smoke. They should be smoking 25 feet away from the building,” Cooper said. “We’re not trying to offend. We are just trying to warn them of the effects. We really just want to educate and help them, not make them feel like they are under attack.”

Thursday was Great American Smoke Out Day. The purpose of this day is to let smokers know that if they can quit for one day, they can quit for another, said Jana Carling, prevention specialist at the Wellness Center.

Carling said, “If they do it a day at a time, it can become a more real and

obtainable goal.”

She said they have been taking extra steps this week to help smokers prepare for Thursday.

“We have been preparing them to quit on Thursday,” Carling said. “It is easier for them to commit if they can plan and prepare for a week. They can do it.”

Anyone interested in more information about the Great American Smoke Out or in need of aid can contact the Student Health and Wellness Center.

-ariek@cc.usu.edu