Seemingly everyone-from the Surgeon General to tobacco company executives-knows that smoking is harmful to the lungs and may cause cancer, but according to Hana Sabic, that doesn’t stop people from doing it.
“Everyone knows that it is bad, but not many people are doing something to change it,” said Sabic, a student at the U, upon noticing the group of people promoting the Great American Smokeout in front of the Marriott Library on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
With informative pamphlets of information about smoking and “quitting kits,” these U students-representing various organizations-were all united for the same purpose: to help smokers quit for one day.
Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the Smokeout has been held each November since 1977 to help smokers quit smoking for at least one day, in the hope that they will quit forever.
Wednesday was another one of those days.
“[A study was] released of current college-age smokers in Utah and according to it, 61.7 percent have recently tried unsuccessfully to quit [at least once],” said Lori Pehrson, who works for the Salt Lake Valley Health Department.
That is why she says she, along with many other people, is hoping to assist in “prevention and to help people quite”
Although Pehrson said that numbers of smokers overall is decreasing nationally, there has been a 28 percent increase from 1993 to 1997 in college-age smokers.
Pehrson says she believes that one of the reasons for the increase is due to the fact that it is now illegal for tobacco companies to advertise directly to teens.
“The college population is the target because it is the youngest age group they can legally advertise to,” Pehrson said.
“It is a huge health problem and I don’t think there are enough people out there [fighting it]. I am just doing my part,” said Laura Stoker of the Alcohol and Drug Education Center, while giving Coleman Motley, one of the pledges, a kit to help aid his quitting.
Motley took up smoking at age nine and says that, “it is just something to do.” However, Motley understands the side effects involved.
“[I’m quitting smoking] because I can’t walk without huffing and puffing and I used to be able to run for six miles. My lungs are not the color they used to be,” according to Motley.
