Today is the third Thursday of November, do you know what that means? Today is the Great American Smokeout! The American Cancer Society encourages smokers to use today’s date to make a plan to quit smoking, either today or by a specific day in the future. By quitting, even for just one day, smokers will be taking a huge step towards a much healthier life- one that can lead to reducing the risk of cancer.
Even though most everyone knows and is taught at a fairly young age that tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US.. About 42 million Americans still smoke cigarettes, that’s about 1 in every 5 adults. Also, according to the American Cancer Society, as of 2012 there were 13.4 MILLION cigar smokers in the United States and 2.3 MILLION people who smoke tobacco in pipes, both of which are other dangerous and addictive forms of tobacco.
There are various different types of quitters of tobacco use.. The Backslider, someone who makes several attempts to quit; The Substitute, someone who uses distraction to help bust cravings; The Enlightened, someone who is motivated to quit for a powerful reason; The Weaner, someone who cuts back gradually; and of course The Cold Turkey, someone who quits smoking abruptly and completely.
Now speaking of Cold Turkey, the Wellness Center is hosting Don’t Quit Cold Turkey Bowling TODAY in the SURC Pit at noon! Participants will use fake stuffed turkeys as bowling balls to knock over makeshift cigarette bowling pins. Throughout the event, the Wellness Center will be providing cessation and support information to attendees and will be handing out “quit kits” for those who are interested in quitting. The quit kits will provide National Tobacco Quitline information and will also include fun giveaways and stress-relief aids. Even though the main intention is to target the tobacco users, non-smokers are encouraged to attend and participate in support of friends and/or family members and their efforts to quit and remain tobacco free.
For more information on Don’t Quit Cold Turkey Bowling please contact the Wellness Center at 509-963-3213 or by email at wellness@cwu.edu
For more information on The Great American Smokeout/tips on how to quit smoking visit http://www.cancer.org/healthy/stayawayfromtobacco/greatamericansmokeout/index
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