Health Center offers anti-smoking program

The Marlboro Man and Joe Camel might be off the billboards, but according to The American Cancer Society, the tobacco epidemic rages on in college institutions.\nThe American Cancer Society has estimated that 41.1 percent of college students smoke either cigarettes or cigars, and smoking in the age group is on the rise.\nTo reverse the trend, IU's Health and Wellness Center offers free "stop smoking" consultations. These include individualized "quit plans," anti-smoking materials and follow-up appointments.\nThe three-year-old program is designed for students who want to kick the habit and need extra assistance to become nonsmokers.\n"Most students who come in here have been thinking about quitting for some time," said Anne Reese, director of health and wellness education at the Health Center. She said the program is "student-centered."\nEach individualized "quit plan" is tailored to fit the student's particular situation, Reese said. It is customized to the severity of the addiction, ability to break the habits associated with smoking and the learning of stress management techniques.\nStudents can take the nicotine replacement route to break their addiction by purchasing Zyban, a new Federal Drug Administration approved stimulant to reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke, or the nicotine patch at the IU Health Care Pharmacy, Reese said.\n"I was like a chimney before I quit, but the patch helped me cut back," said senior Kristin Hempstead, who is going on a year without smoking. "I changed my habits and then finally quit."\nBut quitting for good cannot be solely dependent on the use of medical aids, Reese said. She said students have to recognize the bond between smoking and the activities they do.\n"If a student says they always have a cigarette when they consume alcohol, I suggest that they stop drinking for a few weeks to break the relationship between the two," Reese said.\nBut altering any routine requires extra initiative, which often produces additional stress. Some students agree added stress is not needed.\n"I made an appointment for a consultation last year, but I didn't go because of school. I just had too much to do," IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis sophomore Michele Hiday said. "It's more of a time issue than anything else. I really want to quit, but I just don't have time to stress about something else right now."\nTo deal with this concern, Reese altered the program from group sessions to one-on-one consultations to allow students to work around their schedules.\nReese said stress management techniques are also worked into the program to educate students on how to deal with the withdrawal process while encountering school pressures.\n"Smoking was my stress reliever," Hempstead said. "No matter how badly I did on my K201 project, inhaling my Camel Lights seemed to relax me."\nJust breathing in can work, too. \nReese said deep breathing exercises, yoga positions and other relaxation techniques can be taught during sessions to calm those experiencing withdrawal.\nReese said having cigarette substitutes, like a water bottle, will also ease stress during the transition period. \n"You wouldn't leave home without your cigarettes, don't leave home for the day without your water bottle," Reese said.\nEncouraging e-mails and follow-up scheduling are organized in the program to help on those days where a water bottle alone just won't work.\n"It's something you have to work at," Hempstead said. "If I'd have known about the program when I made my first attempt, maybe I would be celebrating my three-year anniversary next month instead"