Looking around campus, it appears a lot of cigarette smoking goes on. Whether seeing people smoke on their walk between buildings or standing at the doors to the Carl Hansen Student Center, it looks as though there are mora smokers than non-smokers on campus.
The Quit Smoking Committee, chaired by Professor Ronald Rozett, is looking to educate, inform and encourage students to kick their habit of smoking.
The Quit Smoking Committee is made up of adults, including some members from the American Cancer Society. Visitors include university administration, university public affairs and students from the physical therapy and occupational therapy programs.
Professor Rozett has motivation behind his desire to encourage students to quit smoking.
“I’m a physician by background,” he said. “The number one recollection I have from when I first came to this campus is that there is more smoking on this campus then I’ve seen in a long time. I had a revelation that students smoke a lot and something needs to be done about it.”
The committee began in September 2001 and meets about once a month. The group is looking to find programs and resources to guide students in the quit smoking process. One project the committee is working on is building a web site attached to the Quinnipiac web site. This web site will be developed with the help of an e-commerce class.
Among various projects and ideas, the committee is attempting to work on publicizing the Department of Public Heath Quitline with the help of Quinnipiac’s Student Health Services.
The Quitline is a hotline telephone service in Connecticut used to provide resources for tobacco users. More information can be found about this support service for those looking to quit in Student Health Services.
The American Cancer Society annually sponsors the national known event the Great American Smokeout. This event occurs the third Thursday in November. This year it will fall on Nov. 21.
Traditionally, the committee began as a way to get smokers to quit smoking for the day. If smokers can quit smoking for the day there are usually hopes or pledges made to help smokers give up the habit permanently.
This year, Student Health Services will have a table set up in the Carl Hansen Student Center with information helping students quit.
The Quit Smoking Committee is continuously working on new projects and finding ideas to discourage smoking.
Programs that are in the works include the possibility of working with Griffin Hospital to find treatment and support for college age smokers in a program similar to the one the hospital has currently with high school students.
The committee is looking into areas that can be designated for smoking distance in relation to the entry of buildings.
Also included in the Quit Smoking Committee are students from a public relations research class who are conducting an anti-smoking campaign as a class project
Stephanie LeBow, along with two other students, is conducting a semester long anti-smoking campaign on campus. With the help of Professor Rozett and the committee, this group is conducting research on the topic, planning a focus group and making a survey to hand out to smokers on campus.
This project differs from the Quit Smoking Committee, but is supported with the information the committee provides this group.
“We hope that our campaign will be an on-going thing on campus and that we will be able to help smokers find help and ways to quit,” said LeBow.