The Great American Smokeout

 Student Life & Services      November 9, 2020

Did you know you can schedule an appointment with Health Services to learn more about quitting?

This week we are celebrating education related to the Great American Smokeout! Smoking and other forms of nicotine/tobacco products are often misunderstood. This week I want to share with you, testimonies from a current and previous student, as well as a staff member. Their stories are all about why quitting was important to them. If you are interested in learning about quitting, you can schedule an appointment at Health Services today! If other Catamounts can quit, so can YOU! Let’s do this together.

Current Student: I went to a gathering with some friends, and picked up their juul which began my downhill spiral to a nicotine addiction. I thought that my “alternative” habit was less harmful than smoking cigarettes. This is so untrue, as I went through packets of pods and that is equivalent to more than a pack a day of cigarettes (very bad). I was scared to admit to my doctors, family, and some of my friends that I had started smoking. I felt that I fit in when I had my juul in hand… but then reality hit that I was not doing this for me. It was expensive, harmful to my health, and more difficult to put down then to never have picked it up. Looking back, I wish I knew what I now know. If I did, I would never have started. I hope when you read this, you look into the negative effects and costs of smoking. In a pandemic, and on a regular day, we should all be saving money and taking care of ourselves. This habit is a quick way to burn through cash and hurt your future self. Bad breath, yellow teeth, and so many other side effects are not worth it people!!!

Alumnus: I just recently quit dipping after graduating college. I smoked cigarettes in high school, then in college picked up a juul, then began to dip. I cannot express in words how harmful every habit that I picked up has been on my wellbeing. What I want to share, is how I quit. It can feel intimidating to think about quitting tobacco, nicotine, and other so-called alternatives… but the truth is: the quicker you stop fighting your fears, the closer you are to being proud of yourself. I often paired this negative habit with drinking. This led me to even worse methods of coping. I went to my doctor after years of telling them I NEVER smoked or did smokeless tobacco, and told them I needed help with a plan for how to quit. I felt a weight had been lifted, and my doctor was supportive. I created a plan with my doctor and accepted that all I could do from this point, was try my best. I had good friends who were my accountability partners. I stopped hanging out with people who tempted me to smoke when my goal was to quit, for me. It was not easy, but the journey taught me to prioritize my health. I have never been more proud of myself.

Staff Member: I first started smoking due to wanting to fit in with my peers.  I never actually liked the taste all that much, but I loved the feeling.  I smoked for a total of about 7 years.  Quitting, for me, took three major tries and many half-hearted attempts.  What was most successful for me was quitting cold turkey, but I also tried weaning off and using vaping as an alternative (instead, I ended up vaping much more than I ever smoked).  Quitting was difficult, but well worth it.  My asthma almost completely went away, as well as my chronic lung infections.  I even had my tonsils removed because of smoking!  I now have much more endurance for hiking and walking; two of my favorite things.  All smokers know the damage it causes; I was always aware that I was harming my body.  What really helped me was hearing and reading stories of folx who had quit and were feeling better.  Seeing images about what the immediate and long-term improvements that could be seen from quitting also were really impactful.  I hope my words can help influence someone to take the first step to quit tobacco/nicotine.