UALR Goes Smoke Free in Seven Months

Health Services has joined in a partnership with the Arkansas Tobacco Quitline’s “Quit for Life” program to enhance the resources available to students, staff, and faculty who choose to be tobacco free. “Cigarette smoking is the chief, single, avoidable cause of death in our society and the most important public health issue of our time,” Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop said. This statement is just as true in 2009 as it was two decades ago when Koop issued it in his annual report. Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term benefits, reducing risks for diseases caused by smoking and improving health in general. Current research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that the annual U.S. death toll attributable to smoking is 437,902. In 2005, it was estimated that nearly 50,000 persons died due to second-hand smoke exposure. Of the 20.9 percent of adults who are current smokers, 70 percent want to quit. Call Health Services at 569.3188 to get more information about Quit for Life.