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News Smokers Quit 'Cold Turkey' at UT Medical Center's Great American Smoke Out Event
Smokers Quit 'Cold Turkey' at UT Medical Center's Great American Smoke Out Event
Published: Wednesday, December 3, 2008
The nationally recognized Great American Smoke Out collided with Thanksgiving turkeys at The University of Tennessee Medical Center, resulting in pledges by 75 people to quit smoking for at least one day.
During the medical center’s “Quit Cold Turkey” event, organized by The Cancer Institute at UT Medical Center, participants were rewarded with a turkey and two free health screenings for turning in their cigarettes. In addition to the carbon monoxide screening and pulse oximetry test, volunteers from the UT College of Pharmacy shared information about upcoming smoking cessation classes.
“I saw the table set up here in the cafeteria and figured it sure wouldn’t hurt me if I decided to not smoke for the day,” said Summer Cook, a Sevierville resident who said she has smoked up to a pack-a-day for the past 16 years. “I’m glad I did this, because from the test I learned that my carbon monoxide levels were much higher than I would have expected.”
Cook said her trip to the Quit Cold Turkey table served as the first time she had ever even thought about quitting smoking. In addition to receiving her turkey, Cook picked up some smoking cessation literature before she left.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General in 1990, people who quit smoking, regardless of age, live longer than people who continue to smoke; and quitting smoking substantially decreases the risk of lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, oral cancer, pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer and cervical cancer. Representatives of UT Medical Center’s Cancer Institute say they hope the Great American Smoke Out “Quit Cold Turkey” event serves to convince people to quit smoking for good.
Click here for more information on the Cancer Institute or Smoking Cessation Classes.