
The Great American Smoke Out is an educational gathering that gives facts and information to students about smoking, as well as helping to make Salt Lake Community College a smoke-free campus.

The Great American Smoke Out took place Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus with the purpose of encouraging students to quit smoking not just cigarettes, but e-cigarettes as well. The goal was not to look down upon smokers or tobacco users, but to educate them on the health risk associated with it. There were tables of information along with healthcare providers, not only to give facts, but to aid anyone who wanted to quit and make healthier choices.
Tonya, a student checking out the displays, said, “I don’t smoke but have a few friends who do. If I can give them some tips for quitting, maybe it will help them.”
The event was put on by the SLCC Student Association with the primary goal of making SLCC a tobacco-free campus. The organizers felt that this would benefit all students and make it so there was less second-hand smoke around campuses and less clean up the cigarette butts as well. They also stress that they want all students to be aware of the dangers of tobacco use and be the healthiest they can be.
If you would like to quit and want more information, you can contact SLCC Health and Counseling Clinic at (801) 957-4268. You can also visit smokefree.gov, tobaccofree.org, and waytoquit.com.
I think these are great efforts and the right approach. There have been calls to make SLCC Campuses smoke free through edict. I think this would be a mistake because it would put up barriers for some students and say, you are not welcome here. Student struggling to stay in school don’t need one more disincentive to completion. They need support.
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