A blackened pig’s lung would make most people sick, but it’s in MacEwan Hall as an aid to help students stop smoking during National Non-Smoking Week.
As part of this non smoking week, the Smoke Free U of C club are holding events each day to raise awareness about how smoking can affect you and the various ways to stop smoking.
“We are here with in-your-face displays to show students how smoking effects them,” said Jennie Shen, a member of the SFUC. “We are just tying to pass on the message.”
Trying to side-step a reputation that non-smoking organizations harass smokers, the SFUC is using knowledge as their most effective aid to stop people from smoking.
“All types of tobacco are on the rise on this campus,” said Ashley Fraser, the Student President of SFUC. “We are hoping to arm people with information to help them quit, friends quit, or family quit.”
To help students stop smoking, the SFUC provided Nicorette gum, Crest toothpaste, pamphlets from the Tom Baker Cancer Centre and toys that people trying to quit can fidget with. “We are here this week to promote Nicorette’s new flavor,” said Christy Cox, a representative from Nicorette. “Since it’s National Non-Smoking Week we thought we’d come here.”
“We’ve teamed up with SFUC,” Cox added. “Our message to students is our new taste and to help promote non-smoking.”
Continuing until Friday, the SFUC will be spreading information about not smoking in a number of ways that include analyzing the marketing tactics of tobacco companies, surveying students for different ways to quit smoking and uncovering the various ways media has portrayed smoking.
“We are hoping to hold another event towards the end of the year,” said Fraser. “We don’t want people to think that we’re here to nag them, we are here to support them.”