The Health Education Department will offer free smokingcessation classes to everyone who is ready to quite smokingincluding students, faculty and Muncie residents. The classes,which consist of four sessions, will start on Sept. 22 at theHealth Center.
Ball State health educator Lisa Thomason said the departmentprovides an opportunity to help smokers quit every fall and springsemester.
The American Cancer Society's program Freshstart, which has ahigher success rate than other similar programs, is the method thatis used in her smoking cessation class, Thomason said.
All the participants receive a Freshstart guidebook andworksheets. They are also asked to keep their records of smoking,which is like a smoking diary. Thomason said keeping a smokingrecord will help them figure out their smoking behaviors and helpreduce or quit smoking.
In the Freshstart guidebook, students can learn the many healthbenefits they can receive after they quit smoking. According toACS, lung function increases up to 30 percent two weeks to threemonths after quitting, and a risk of heart attack is no differentfrom someone who has never smoked after 15 years of quittingsmoking.
"In reality, after 15 years it [the risk of coronary heartdisease] is the same as it would have been," she said. "It can beencouraging for somebody trying to quit."
Last academic year, 23 people registered for the session. Theparticipants helped and supported each other as a group, but theydid not have to discuss anything private, Thomason said.
"If you want to share things about your past, we are more thanwilling to listen," she said. "But we are not going to forceanybody to talk if they don't want."
Thomason is willing to provide an opportunity for one whoprefers to have an individual session or whose schedule conflictsby making an appointment, she said.
Francesca Klein, a sophomore who participated in the sessionlast fall, successfully quit smoking after years of being asmoker.
Starting her new life at Ball State, Klein set her goal to quitsmoking. Then she saw a sign advertising the smoking cessationclass on campus, she said.
"It [the sign] was something I was looking for," Klein said.
When she announced her attempt to quit smoking, her family,friends and residents of her dorm floor were supportive, Kleinsaid. Her friends made signs to encourage her and her family calledher occasionally to see how successful she was.
She also received help from the other people in the class.Having people who were dealing with same problem made it easier forher to quit smoking, Klein said.
"You've got to have a support system," Klein said. "You've gotto have a lot of people who you don't want to let down."
Unlike a myth that people gain weight after quitting smoking,Klein's weight did not increase, she said. Instead of turning tocandy bars or gum, she started drinking lots of water. Herdesignated special water cup traveled with her all the time.
Gaining weight is a common concern because nicotine can speed upmetabolism, Thomason said. But it happens to only one-third ofsmokers, according to studies.
On average, people gain about five pounds when they quitsmoking, Thomason said. However, the benefit to their hearts whenthey give up a pack of cigarettes a day is the same as if they hadlost 50 to 75 pounds.
Klein said she feels as though she has accomplished somethingbig and is confident to try anything. When asked how she feels ninemonths after she quit smoking, she said with a smile, "I feelawesome. It's a good feeling, definitely."
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