Event educates, provides resources to quit smoking (Video)

by Hayley McCullough

Daily Lobo

Smokers who want to kick the habit got resources and information at the Great American Smoke-out, the event's coordinator said.

"A lot of students have tried to quit before and have done so unsuccessfully, so we're just providing some great resources to kind of follow up and help them make it through," Janelle McLean said.

Patricia Kerr, consultant for UNM's smoking cessation program, said the best way to quit smoking is through support and education.

"When people want to quit, they come to me and make appointments, and I help them work through whatever barriers they have to becoming smoke-free," she said.

The cessation program is free for students.

Students were able to participate in an opinion poll at the event that asked whether Main Campus should be smoke-free, McLean said.

"It's not going to be an official vote," she said. "It's just going to give us an idea of which way students are leaning toward."

Student Amanda Hauer, a smoker, said people who smoke know it is

dangerous.

"It's not a healthy habit, but I think a lot of people assume they smoke because they don't know the danger - they don't have a way to quit," she said. "Some people just don't want to (quit), and they shouldn't be painted as villains for that."

COSAP provided students with information on the dangers of smoking.

Jill Anne Yeagley, COSAP's program manager, said the organization planned to survey students about having a smoke-free campus. COSAP did not take a survey because it would be biased,

Yeagley said.

"The survey itself isn't biased, but doing it at the Great American Smokeout would be gathering biased information," she said.

Student Kim Larson, a smoker, said smoking should be banned on campus.

"I don't think other people smoking should infringe on other people's health," he said. "People's health shouldn't be jeopardized."

Estrada said Main Campus could become smoke-free.

"It is becoming a trend now," he said. "There are a lot of universities that are going smoke-free and some that will be going smoke-free next year."