Several campus groups came together Thursday to celebrate the 33rd annual Great American Smokeout.
The Great American Smokeout is a national event sponsored by the American Cancer Society to encourage tobacco users to quit for a day and eventually quit completely.
The Tobacco Cessation Advocates" the Family Medicine Center and the Ambulatory Care Center participated in the events.
""We wanted to show that there are people who care about the health risks" and there are resources available" said Sandy Zuccarello, graduate coordinator of Tobacco Cessation Advocates.
They also collected donations to benefit the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the N.C. Alliance for Health.
They suggested that smokers donate the money they normally would spend on tobacco.
Because of the groups' efforts, several Chapel Hill bars and clubs, including Blue Horn Lounge, He's Not Here and Top of the Hill, decided to ban smoking for the day. Many others already ban smoking permanently.
Tobacco Cessation Advocates also handed out information about the smoke-free day to people in the Student Union. Zuccarello said she hopes that if the bars get enough business, they will consider going smoke-free permanently.
Steve Torchio, floor manager of Top of the Hill, said patrons' wishes probably wouldn't allow the restaurant to prohibit smoking permanently, but agreed to last night's ban after being approached by Tobacco Cessation Advocates.
It was an easy thing for us to do" he said. It's for a good cause and obviously" smoking is bad for your health.""
The Ambulatory Care Center and the Family Medicine Center also set up tables in their lobbies and handed out free information on the Nicotine Dependence Program and the 1-800-Quit-Now hotline.
The care center offered free carbon dioxide checks to those who attended.
""We've had lots of patients stop by. I think it's been really great"" said Elizabeth Churchill, who helped run the event. We had several who said when they come back next year they hope the CO2 monitor reads below zero.""
The Family Medicine Center put on a program called ""Smoke Your Turkey" Not Your Lungs" which included a quiz about the dangers of tobacco for the chance to win two turkeys.
Kearston Ingraham, an organizer of the event, said people stopped by the table to share stories of their hardships in attempting to quit and to get information to take to their loved ones.
It's something that's really needed in the community"" Ingraham said. I think this has been very beneficial.""
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Great American Smokeout aims to help smokers kick the habit
Health Focus representative and Tobacco Cessation Advocates member" Amy Patel asks students the amount of time it took to collect half a container full of cigarette butts in a non-smoking area of UNC's campus.Patel and other members of campus health groups participated in the Great American Smokeout Thursday raising awareness for how smoking affects one's health.
