Health Services educates about smoking risks
Tracey Tate
Issue date: 11/25/09 Last update: 11/25/09 at 5:49 AM PST
Section: Features
If you are a smoker, beware that every time you take a drag off that cigarette you are taking in arsenic (a heavy metal toxin), benzene (a chemical found in gasoline), beryllium (a toxic metal), cadmium (a metal used in batteries), chromium (a metallic element), ethylene oxide (a chemical used to sterilize medical devices), nickel (a metallic element), polonium-210 (a chemical element that gives off radiation) and vinyl chloride (a toxic substance used in plastics manufacture).
Laney College Health Services interns Irina Semenova and Antoine Johnson compiled those facts to help smokers on the Laney campus quit for the day or even permanently as part of the Great American Smokeout, an event held on Nov. 20.
Sponsored by the Health Services Department, the Smokeout event had a booth on the quad brimming with information in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and English.
Sememova and Johnson fielded questions from students who had a desire to quit smoking and passed out goodie bags that included candy and gum to keep non-smoking mouths busy while they were attempting to quit.
They also handed out free pedometers to garner support for a walk around the estuary to promote the Smokeout. Said Johnson: “Laney is already a smoke-free campus, but we want to push the smoking on the periphery back even further.”
Iowa Robinson, who stopped by the booth for information and to ask questions, said that she had been trying to quit for seven years because “it was not attractive.”
In addition to providing informational services about the Smokeout, Sememova and Johnson also had other health services pamphlets and informed students of other resources that were available.
Laney College Health Services interns Irina Semenova and Antoine Johnson compiled those facts to help smokers on the Laney campus quit for the day or even permanently as part of the Great American Smokeout, an event held on Nov. 20.
Sponsored by the Health Services Department, the Smokeout event had a booth on the quad brimming with information in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and English.
Sememova and Johnson fielded questions from students who had a desire to quit smoking and passed out goodie bags that included candy and gum to keep non-smoking mouths busy while they were attempting to quit.
They also handed out free pedometers to garner support for a walk around the estuary to promote the Smokeout. Said Johnson: “Laney is already a smoke-free campus, but we want to push the smoking on the periphery back even further.”
Iowa Robinson, who stopped by the booth for information and to ask questions, said that she had been trying to quit for seven years because “it was not attractive.”
In addition to providing informational services about the Smokeout, Sememova and Johnson also had other health services pamphlets and informed students of other resources that were available.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Jean Womack
posted 11/25/09 @ 11:17 AM PST
Contra Costa College broadcasts an ad that says "If you smoke me, I'll smoke you back." My instructor in the Violence Against Children class says about that, that when you say you are going to do the same thing back to a person they did to you, it shows a lack of moral development. (Continued…)
Electric Monkey
posted 12/30/09 @ 6:50 AM PST
The Great American Smokeout was the push I needed. It helped me quit smoking when nothing else did. Good luck to all those trying to kick the habit.
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