Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Mary Emerson had been smoking for four and a half years by the time she reached her junior year of college. She had tried a few times to quit her pack-a-day habit, but was always unsuccessful. Then, last December, she noticed an advertisement at Watkins Memorial Health Center for a free smoking cessation program and decided to give it a shot.
Six weeks later, she was cigarette-free for the first time since high school.
Emerson, Oklahoma City junior, is one of four KU students to have entered and successfully completed the smoking cessation program since it began in December. The program, tentatively titled “KanU Quit,” was developed by Ken Sarber, health educator at the Wellness Resource Center, and has had a 100 percent success rate.
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New smoking cessation program
Title: KanU Quit Cost: Free Length: Six Weeks Contact: Ken Sarber Phone: (785) 864-9573 Email: ksarber@ku.edu
Emerson attributed the program’s success to its extensive six-week structure.
“The whole thing was so cohesive,” she said. “I felt prepared. Like this time it was for real.”
Sarber designed the program to last for six weeks, with students spending the first two weeks logging when and why they smoked each cigarette.
Sarber said it was important to identify a smoker’s triggers.
“There’s a huge emotional tie with smoking, like being bored or depressed or having anxiety during finals time,” Sarber said.
Beth Jackson, Wichita senior, also participated in the program.
She said recognizing her triggers was crucial to kicking her 10-year smoking habit.
“I smoked mostly because of stress,” Jackson said. “Or I would do it in the morning with my coffee. It was more than a habit. It was part of my morning routine.”
Sarber worked with each student to create new routines and strategies to resist the nicotine craving. The students also met with a pharmacist at Watkins Health Center to decide if they would want help from a product, such as a nicotine patch or prescription drug.
Then, in the third week of the program, participants completely stop smoking.
Jackson said she discovered some unexpected ways to curb her nicotine cravings
“Citrus fruit was amazing,” she said. “The act of peeling an orange kept my hands busy and got rid of the initial craving and the citrus taste made me not want to smoke.”
Weekly meetings with Sarber and support from her family also made the quitting process less intimidating, Jackson said.
“I had people cheering me on. I didn’t feel so alone,” she said.
Jackson completed the program on Jan. 10 and said her perspective on smoking has already started to change.
“I’ve gotten hit in the face with smoke a couple times and have started to find it obnoxious,” she said. “I used to be like ‘It’s open air. Get over it.’ But now I’m seeing things from the other side.”
Emerson, who has been cigarette-free for almost a month, said she still struggles with cravings, but has no plans to resume old habits.
“I feel a million times healthier and better about myself,” she said. “I don’t think I could have done it by myself.”
—Edited by Russell Davies
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