Students Encourage Quitting Smoking

Just a few feet away, members of the Carolina Cancer Focus offered them an alternative.

CCF members are promoting the Great American Smokeout all week in an effort to get people to quit smoking for at least 24 hours.

However, few UNC students seem interested, senior Jamie Shuster, president of CCF, said.

"We haven't done a survey, but college students smoke a lot," Shuster said. "It's a problem, and it makes it hard for people to pledge here."

The smokeout, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, is a nationwide effort to encourage smokers to pledge that they will not smoke Thursday.

"The hope is that those 24 hours will lead to not smoking at all," Shuster said.

The first Great American Smokeout took place in 1977. More Americans try to quit on this day than any other, including New Year's Day, according to the American Cancer Society.

CCF has been promoting the smokeout on campus since its establishment four years ago.

CCF will have a table set up in the Pit from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day until Thursday.

The table, decorated with posters titled "Top Five Reasons Smokers Can't Get a Date" and "Give Your Lungs a Breath of Fresh Air," also holds pamphlets with information on the health risks of smoke.

Josh Albert, vice chairman of education for CCF, said about 10 or 11 people will visit the the group's table in the Pit each day.

By Monday afternoon, two people had signed the pledge to quit smoking.

"We usually get more people later in the week," said Katarina Hjelt, co-chair of CCF's service committee.

But Shuster said it is generally older people who are more committed to quitting.

"The professors and older students are the ones who come up and are interested in actually quitting," she said.

As part of the week's events, CCF will host a speaker from Student Health Service. In a program titled "Smoke But No Fire," DeeDee Laurilliard will discuss smoking and health in 217 Bingham Hall at 6 p.m.

CCF's effort to educate people about smoking is not limited to the Great American Smokeout.

Tutoring Against Tobacco, a division of CCF, was started two years ago to make middle schoolers aware of the negative effects of tobacco.

Volunteers travel to Culbreth Middle School twice a week to work with sixth-graders who have been selected by teachers or administrators or who have decided to attend the education sessions on their own.

The group leaves from the ATMs in front of Davis Library at 3 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.

Although most members of CCF have been affected directly by cancer, all students are encouraged to participate.

"CCF is a special interest group," Shuster said. "We're not like (the Carolina Athletic Association) supporting all the athletics. We only attract a certain student following."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu