Oct. 29, 2004
UW-RF Continues Tobacco Education Program
By Christine Duellman
UW-RF News Bureau
UW-River Falls students and staff will participate in the Great American Smoke-out
Nov. 18 in Hagestad Student Center. This event will provide information and
resources for people wanting to quit a tobacco habit, and it also will show
support for non-smokers.
Information tables with quit kits and freebies will be set up the day of the
event. Participants also can tie-dye t-shirts that promote tobacco prevention.
"I think it's important to help students realize how beneficial it is to
quit smoking, and non-smokers need to know ways to protect themselves from secondhand
smoke," said Jennifer Elsesser, the tobacco education coordinator at UW-RF.
As a result of national tobacco lawsuits settlements, programs have been specifically
geared toward preventing and reducing the use of tobacco by youth. Last year
UW-River Falls received a grant of $42,000 from the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services in order to launch its tobacco prevention program.
Extensive marketing campaigns attempting to convince students to quit using
tobacco have been posted around campus. "You Know You Want To" is
a popular slogan that has been catching students' eyes this academic year.
Last year, 200 quit kits were distributed to smokers on campus. The quit kits
include information about services provided by the University, hotline numbers,
and snacks including sunflower seeds and candy.
Results of a recent survey done by Student Health Services showed a small percentage
of the student body are regular smokers. The number of smokers has gone down
since last year when the tobacco education program began.
"It's nice to see they're trying to help smokers instead of attacking the
smokers," says student and former smoker Georgia Wagner "There's a
lot of good information around campus but there needs to be even more."
Every Tuesday through the school year, tobacco education tables are set up in
the Hagestad Student Center from 1-2 p.m.
For more information about the services provided by Student Health Services,
contact Elsesser at 715/425-3755 or log on to www.uwrf.edu/student-health-service.
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