Earlier this semester, a new marketing effort to encourage Niners to “Share the Air” began; it is designed to promote smoking in designated areas across campus, as well as tobacco cessation programs available to students, faculty and staff members.
Shawnté Elbert, alcohol, tobacco and drug health education specialist for the Center for Wellness Promotion and a member of the Advisory Committee to the Chancellor for Employee Health and Wellness (ACCEHW), spearheaded the development of the campaign.
“Earlier this year, University administrators encouraged the center and ACCEHW to take a look at campus efforts to address the issues of smoking in an academic setting,” explained Elbert.
UNC Charlotte’s current smoking policy calls for smoking in designated areas only. To call attention to the policy, the campaign uses a “catchy” slogan to ask smokers to “Sit Your Butts Down.” Other marketing materials encourage the campus community to “Breathe Easy.”
Since 1993, the Environmental Protection Agency has classified second-hand smoke as a Class A carcinogen, a designation used for substances proven to cause cancer in humans.
Elbert said that while a number of colleges and universities issue fines and citations to individuals who do not follow smoking policies, UNC Charlotte officials have decided to increase educational and awareness efforts.
“One aspect of this marketing campaign focuses on reducing the numbers of people who smoke while walking across campus, but another aspect is to inform students and employees about the tobacco cessation resources available to them,” stated Elbert.
The Center for Wellness Promotions offers free one-on-one tobacco cessation sessions for students who can make an appointment with a Student Health Center medical provider to discuss the use of prescription medication to aid in quitting tobacco. (Call 704-687-7400).
For faculty and staff members, they can contact QuitLineNC (800-784-8669), which offers one-on-one telephone support and free nicotine replacement patches when individuals enroll in the multi-call program. Web coaching also is available. Other N.C. HealthSmart tobacco cessation support includes in-person counseling with a doctor or behavioral therapist and reduced cost for all tobacco cessation prescription medications. Faculty and staff also can email Elbert (selbert1@uncc.edu) with basic questions about cessation.
Changing behavior takes time, it will require reinforcement, said Elbert. Initial efforts began during summer SOAR sessions to reach incoming students, and plans are to conduct presentations throughout the academic year. In addition to the many signs across campus, Elbert, with the help of undergraduate and graduate students, is distributing T-shirts and window clings that support the campaign’s messaging of “Share the Air,” “Breathe Easy” and “Sit Your Butts Down.”
She also plans to attend meetings of the Faculty and Staff councils and involve student groups associated with health-related majors to reach their peers to assist with these efforts.
“I want to thank Dr. Jackson; Dr. Spano; Center for Wellness Promotion colleagues; Lindsay Spears, an intern from the MPH program; ACCEHW committee members; Lyndsey Richter who designed the marketing materials; and all the other student workers and interns helping me,” said Elbert. “I couldn’t have initiated this effort without their support.”