{"id":106566,"date":"2019-11-19T16:14:53","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T02:14:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=106566"},"modified":"2019-11-19T16:14:53","modified_gmt":"2019-11-20T02:14:53","slug":"great-american-smokeout-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2019\/11\/19\/great-american-smokeout-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Great American Smokeout event supports tobacco-free campus"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Students stroll around the walking path on McCarthy Mall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to the American Cancer Society<\/a>, smoking causes an estimated 480,000 deaths every year, and more than 16 million Americans live with a smoking-related disease. People who stop using cigarettes and vape products take an important step toward a healthier life. <\/p>\n

In celebration of the annual Great American Smokeout, a day designated by the American Cancer Society to encourage smokers to start their journey towards a smoke- and vape-free life, the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa<\/a> will hold a free health and wellness event, Quit the Nic<\/a> on Thursday, November 21, from noon to 1:30 p.m. along McCarthy Mall, The Walking Path. The event will feature prizes, giveaways, resources and more.<\/p>\n

From noon to 1 p.m., students, faculty and staff participating in this “moving health fair” will also distribute Quit-the-Nic kits along the one-mile walking path. The kits include health promotion swag and information to help smokers and vapers quit, and for friends and family who want to help.<\/p>\n

Award-winning Walking Path<\/h2>\n

Quit the Nic will showcase the creation of a tobacco-free campus community walking path at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa. Opened this fall, the one-mile walking path along McCarthy Mall provides students, employees and visitors with an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful campus by taking a tobacco-free one-mile stroll, speed walk or jog for clean air and good health.<\/p>\n

The one-mile loop is marked with 30 bright yellow and blue signs with the start and ending point located by Keller Kiosk, a spot on campus previously known as a place where tobacco users would go between classes to smoke and vape.<\/p>\n

The UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa campus was recognized by the American Cancer Society for the creation of the walking path and received the Outstanding Innovation in Campus Education and Engagement award.<\/p>\n

“The walking path and its location signify the hard work put toward achieving a tobacco-free campus community at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa and that there has been a permanent shift toward healthier behaviors with more people choosing to now go out for a walk, not for a smoke,” said Kristen Scholly<\/strong>, health promotions chair at University Health Services<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The event and the walking path are part of UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s Smoke-Free Campus Initiative<\/a> and is supported by The American Cancer Society Tobacco-Free Generation Campus Initiative grant. It is a collaborative effort by Â鶹´«Ã½M\u0101noa offices such as communications, parking, facilities, health services, and others.<\/p>\n