Twenty-four hours in a day -- and an infinite number of ways to fill them.
Today, the Peer Health Educators, along with the Center for Alcohol and Substance Education and F.O.R.C.E., are giving student smokers desiring to quit one purpose to their day: 24 hours of abstinence.
The Great American Smoke-Out, which will take place from 12 to 4 p.m. in the Amphitheatre today, is a national event held annually on the third Thursday in November. The day gives smokers nationwide an opportunity to reevaluate their habit, said third-year College student Cameron Webb, the special events intern for Peer Health Educators.
"Research shows that smoking cessation is most effective when you have the support of your peers, of your community," Webb said. "That's the whole point of the Great American Smoke-Out."
Webb, who worked in the event as a Peer Health Educator last year, said he believes the program holds great promise.
"This event is one of the big reasons I wanted to be an intern," Webb said. "I wanted to see the effect that programs like these have on people's lives, on the University community."
Last year, the Smoke-Out received surveys from 35 University student smokers, which allowed the event coordinators to keep in touch with those students and track their efforts to quit smoking. In total there were nearly 50 participants in the event, as concerned friends of smokers and other curious community members stopped by to pick up literature, Webb said.
This year, the Great American Smoke-Out will extend beyond the set 24 hours at the University. Webb forecasted a spring follow-up event called the Smoke-Out Challenge, as well as a course on smoking cessation that will provide more pertinent literature.
From his experiences last year, Webb described the Great American Smoke-Out as a "laid-back" event geared toward smokers desiring to quit.
"[The event] is for those who want to quit but haven't found the strength to, and also for people who keep pushing it back," Webb said. "This gives them a definite day to work with."
Read More
It’s okay not to be okay
By Mai Hukuoka | YesterdayWhether talking to a friend, a loved one or a professional, it is so necessary, and human, to need more than you can provide for yourself.
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | 3 days agoWhat the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
