As part of a national movement to curb tobacco use, Fairfield will host the Great American Smokeout, an event organized by the American Cancer Society, to education students on how to quit, and how to support those who are trying to quit.
It’s hard to quit tobacco use. It’s hard to know how to support someone who is trying to quit. But ¶¶Òô»ÆƬapp and the American Cancer Society are working to change that.
On Thursday, November 16, at the Tully info desk, the University’s Wellness Committee, along with the Egan School of Nursing, and the Office of Human Resource, is hosting the Great American Smokeout – a day that challenges people to stop using tobacco and helps people learn about tools to help with quit and to stay tobacco-free. The event is from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Beginning in 1970, the Great American Smokeout grew from an event at which people were asked to give up cigarettes for a day and donate the money they would have spent on cigarettes to a high school scholarship fund. Since then, smoking in restaurants and bars in many places has been banned, government-aided programs to help people stop smoking, and FDA-regulated marketing of tobacco products. According to the American Cancer Society website, “From 1965 to today, cigarette smoking among adults in the United States decreased from 42% to about 17%.”
Susan Bartos, PhD, assistant professor of nursing, said, “An important part of the Catholic and Jesuit mission are the ideals of cura personalis, holistic image and cure of the whole person, mind, body and spirit. This mission is applied to all individuals who choose to live and work at ¶¶Òô»ÆƬapp. A tobacco-free campus allows each individual to thrive in an environment of wellness while performing to his/her highest degree and is in line with these important Jesuit values."
For more information on how to quit, visit cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345. For more information about the event, please contact Dr. Bartos at sbartos@fairfield.edu , or Anne H. Larcheveque, BSN, RN at alarcheveque@fairfield.edu .