Great American Smokeout health fair to be held November 21 at Campus Center

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Kristen Scholly, (808) 956-3574
Health Promotion Chair, University Health Services Manoa
Posted: Nov 18, 2013

Logo for Supporters for a Tobacco-Free UH Manoa
Logo for Supporters for a Tobacco-Free UH Manoa
Great American Smokeout poster
Great American Smokeout poster

Every year, 443,000 people in the United States die of tobacco-related illnesses and 3,000 non-smokers die of lung cancer due to second-hand smoke exposure. Additionally, 99% of all smokers start before the age of 26. In response to this serious health concern, the University Health Services Mānoa's Health Promotion Program, in conjunction with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, is hosting the annual “Great American Smokeout” health fair on Thursday, November 21, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Campus Center Ballroom and on the Campus Center Mall.

The Great American Smokeout is a national event developed by the American Cancer Society to encourage smokers to use November 21 as the day to stop smoking or to make a plan to quit smoking. People who stop using tobacco take an important step toward a healthier life.

This year the Great American Smokeout is also designed to support the establishment of a tobacco-free campus at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, with a target implementation date of January 1, 2014. The goal of the tobacco-free policy is to make the campus a healthier place to learn, work and live.

The Great American Smokeout provides information about alternatives to smoking and the importance of reducing second-hand smoke exposure. Numerous organizations will showcase the services and resources available on the Mānoa campus and within the community. There will be interactive games and displays, as well as free giveaways and other prizes. Music will be provided by KTUH.

This year’s theme is “Doing Our Share for Clean Air."  Event participants include the Hawaii Tobacco Quitline, Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaiʻi, Queen's Medical Center, Kapiʻolani Women and Children’s Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, HMSA Healthways, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, REAL, and the Kokua Kalihi Valley Community Health Center.

Call Kristen Scholly or Lisa Kehl at (808) 956-3574 for more information on the Great American Smokeout or the UHM Health Promotion Program.

For more information, visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/shs/health_promotion/