by TRAVIS GERLACH, CSU Public Relations Intern
This week is the great American Smokeout! What’s that? The Great American Smokeout is an annual intervention event on the third Thursday of November by the American Cancer Society.
Approximately 40 million American adults still smoke, and tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the country.
The University is helping students who would like to quit by offering a gift card and a quit smoking kit for turning in your e-cigarette device. Here are some more tips for the university if you are looking to quit and need some help.
- Students, staff, and faculty can receive a free quit kit from Student Health Services. The kit includes flavored toothpicks, mints, play-doh, and free quit resources to distract or delay cravings while on campus.
- Free cessation resources including free email, text, and phone coaching for all Minnesotans, available through QUITPLAN. Visit quitplan.com for more information.
- If you see someone smoking on campus and feel comfortable approaching them, kindly inform them that our campus has a tobacco-free policy.
- If you notice an area where individuals are consistently violating the policy or don’t feel comfortable approaching the violator(s), you can fill out a Hotspot Report Form, that is sent directly to Minnesota State Mankato’s Tobacco-Free Task Force.
- Lower-cost nicotine replacement therapies are available for students to purchase at the Student Health Services Pharmacy.
- Download an app on your phone to help you create a quit plan or provide distractions
- quitSTART
- Smoke Free
- Kwit
- Livestrong MyQuit Coach
- Quitting?
- Make it public
- Track progress on a visible calendar
- Sign up for reminder texts
- Exercise
- Freshen breath with a mint
- Try nicotine replacement therapies
For more information, you can visit the university’s health and safety page by clicking here! Also, make sure to follow @mavsforcleanair on Instagram!
