Smokers gives lungs a day off

How many times have you heard someone say, "I'm a social smoker" or "I only smoke cigarettes on the weekends" or "Sure, I smoke now, but I'll quit once I graduate"?

Many college students assume unhealthy behaviors and habits they engage in during college can be left behind as easily as D-hall lunch lines and 8 a.m. classes.

According to the American Cancer Society, every third Thursday in November, more people quit smoking than any other day of the year because of the Great American Smokeout. This year, the ACS will celebrate its 25th Annual Smokeout. Today, the Health Center has an information booth in Warren Hall to contribute to the world awareness of the Great American Smokeout on its official date. Stickers and "quit-kits" are available both in Warren and in the Health Center lobby.

The smokeout went nationwide after the California Division of the American Cancer Society successfully prompted nearly one million smokers to quit for one day in 1977. This year, 10 million Americans are expected to participate, according to American Cancer Society projections.

The University Health Center and HTH 458 — Health Program Planning Class — co-sponsored their version of the event, "JMU Smokeout 2001," a little early this year, devoting the week of Oct. 29 to a "JMU Kicks Butts" campaign. This is the second year the two collaborated to spread awareness about the dangers of tobacco use.

"It's been great," said Connie Campbell, assistant director of health promotion. "I get a grant from the Virginia Department of Health's Tobacco Control Programs Division, and the students involved get practical experience on how to implement and evaluate an awareness week. Plus, we get student input, which is excellent."

The "JMU Kicks Butts" awareness week involved a series of events and information tables set up all over campus. Frozen turkey bowling was held on the commons to represent those signing ACS pledge cards to quit "cold turkey," as well as a cigarette toss and antics from the Duke Dog and a life-size cigarette butt. Coasters baring the above slogan and the campaign's positive catch phrase, "8 out of 10 Dukes Don't Smoke," also were distributed to local bars, and similar T-shirts and cups were given to students who signed the pledge card committing them to not smoke for a day.

For those who are doubtful, the catch phrase statistic came from the Health Center's core survey, administered every two years to a random student selection and based on self-reported drug use. According to the 1999 survey, 80.4 percent of JMU students do not smoke, hence the "8 out of 10" slogan. This number is remarkable compared to the 48.6 percent of college and university students nationwide who report either smoking or chewing tobacco in the last year.

"Part of our goal is to focus on and reinforce the positive behaviors of students here and applaud those that are making healthy choices," Campbell said of the statistic.

Sophomore Lindsay Gulley said, "I don't smoke at all because it makes me cough and my throat hurt, and plus I think it's a nasty habit. "

Junior Josh Reinhard has an equally strong anti-smoking opinion. "It makes your breath and clothes smell awful — you can tell if someone smokes just by walking next to them."

According to the American Cancer Society, cigarettes contain at least 43 distinct cancer-causing chemicals and cause the death of an estimated 430,700 Americans a year, or one in five of all deaths in the United States in a year. Plus, smokers are over 10 times more likely to die from emphysema and 22 times more likely from lung cancer than non-smokers.

Campbell said that many students believe they will be able to drop the habit easily whenever they want to. However, many of these students don't realize how truly addictive nicotine is. According to the ACS, "Nearly 75 percent of daily smokers who think they will not smoke in five years are still smoking five to six years later." Furthermore, in 1988, the U.S. Surgeon General reported that nicotine is just as addictive as heroin and cocaine.

Sophomore Al Philpott said he has tried to quit smoking before and was successesful for about a month or two. Philpott started smoking freshman year after living with roommates who smoked.

"I checked on my application that I didn't mind living with smokers, and at first I started just on the weekends, but then progressively more. Now I smoke less than a pack a day."

Junior Thomas Imbrigiotta has been smoke-free for 10 days. "I was getting sick and smoking makes it much worse — I was coughing a lot more and couldn't really breathe well." He said that it gets easier after making it through the first day, and that "on the weekends, if I don't smoke, I feel so much better in the morning after a night out."

Luckily for those like Thomas who want to kick the habit, the Health Center offers a variety of different smoking cessation medications and support. Students may come to ask advice about quitting, and simply receive a "quit kit" that includes candies and mints, whitening toothpaste and other encouraging items.

For medicated help, the nicotine gum Nicorette and varying strengths of the nicotine patch also are available over-the-counter or can be provided by the Health Center, or doctors can prescribe nicotine nasal spray, nicotine inhalers or Zyban tablets.

"The Health Center is very pro-active when it comes to helping students kick the habit," Campbell said. "Zyban has been unbelievable in helping people quit — very effective."

There are those who are happy with the habit and do not see the need to try to quit smoking any time soon. Junior Alan Hornbeck has been smoking regularly since he was 16 years old.

"It's horrible for you, but there's a quality of life that says you do things that you find pleasure in, and perhaps it's because I'm addicted — but I'm not going to stop just because it's bad for me."

For information on smoking or about how to get involved with the American Cancer Society, call the local office at 434-3360. For nationwide locations, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.