Meaghan O’Riordan is the Accessioning & Collections Manager for the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives & Rare Book Library and the chair of the LITS Wellness Committee.
Are you currently a smoker? Have you tried quitting and been unsuccessful? Why not trying again next Wednesday, November 14th for the Great American Smokeout? Quitting smoking is never easy. Let the Great American Smokeout event be your first day toward a smoke-free life. This event is sponsored by the American Cancer Society, and their website provides you with tools and resources to support you in your goal. You can also call 1-800-227-2345.
ACS has been hosting the Great American Smokeout for more than 40 years on the third Thursday of November. It is an opportunity for smokers to come together to commit to a healthy, smoke-free life. From their site: “The Great American Smokeout provides an opportunity for individuals, community groups, businesses, healthcare providers, and others to encourage people to use the date to make a plan to quit, or plan in advance and initiate a smoking cessation plan on the day of the event.”
According to the American Cancer Society, “Nearly 38 million Americans still smoke cigarettes, and smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world.” They also note that quitting smoking improves both short term and long term health.The risk of coronary heart disease decreases by half that of someone who still smokes just one year after you quit smoking, not to mention immediate improvement in heart rate and blood pressure.
According to the CDC, more than 16 million Americans are living with a disease caused by smoking. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. If smoking continues at the current rate among U.S. youth, 5.6 million of today’s Americans younger than 18 years of age are expected to die prematurely from a smoking-related illness. The total economic cost of smoking is more than $300 billion a year in the United States.
Emory became a tobacco-free campus on January 1, 2012, prohibiting smoking and tobacco use on Emory University and Emory Healthcare properties. As a result, tobacco use has significantly declined across our campus. Emory decided to become a tobacco free campus because tobacco use is a leading preventable health risk. Emory also aims to promote a culture of health and wellness and believes that tobacco use is inconsistent with that mission.
Emory’s tobacco free policy is a community health initiative, so the entire Emory community is responsible for its enforcement. Some ways you might contribute to enforcement include providing options for cessation and support and politely informing people seen smoking on campus about our policy. If you notice a pattern of smoking you can also anonymously report this activity online. Please visit Emory’s website about the tobacco free policy, including the FAQs, for more information.
Please consider participating in the Great American Smokeout 2018 on Wednesday November 14th and contact a LITS Wellness Committee member if you need help finding resources to quit smoking!