Story written by Micah Karr, DailyFlipz Health Reporter

DAYTON, Ohio-- Wright State University, effective July 1, 2017, will be completely tobacco free.

This includes tobacco of all kinds, such as cigarettes, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes (these do not always contain tobacco, but are still prohibited by Wright State’s Tobacco Free Policy ), and other tobacco products.

​While actual cigarettes and similar products will be banned campus-wide, products such as nicotine patches and similar prescribed aids to quit smoking will be allowed.

For smokers on campus however, they will have to either quit smoking or find somewhere off-campus to smoke. For those hoping to quit, here are five tips that can help in the journey of quitting.

• Find your triggers and work to fight them

Triggers can range from stress, to a certain time of day where you would regularly smoke, to a certain activity, such as speaking on the phone. To combat these triggers, Bill Blatt, a writer for the American Lung Association, wrote that you should get rid of anything in your house, car, or workplace that reminds you of smoking, such as lighters, cigarettes, or ashtrays.

• Understand that it does not happen overnight

As with breaking any habit, slip-ups will occur. “The first seven to 10 days will probably be the toughest,” Blatt wrote. However, with time, the urge to smoke will dissipate. Jen Christensen, health reporter for CNN, acknowledges in her Nov. 16, 2016 article, “The 6 most scientifically proven methods to help you quit smoking,” that smoking “is one of the hardest bad health habits to break,” so there is no surprise and no shame in slipping up from time to time.

• Make use of alternatives to help you quit

Christensen writes that alternative nicotine products, such as patches, inhalers, gum, and other methods “help smokers get over the initial cravings and symptoms of withdrawal.” While nicotine patches can help resist the urge to smoke, but, according to the Quit Smoking Community, there are side effects, since it is a drug. Generally, the side effects are somewhat mild.

• Remember the health benefits of quitting

The American Lung Association has a list of the benefits of quitting smoking. The first benefits begin 20 minutes after you quit, when your heart rate returns to normal. The last listed benefit is that, 15 years after quitting, you are no longer at a higher risk of coronary heart disease.
​

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help

“This is not something you should do alone,” the Quit Smoking Community, a website run by two people whose parents were taken by smoking, writes in their 2016 article “What is the most effective way to quit smoking?” Asking friends can be helpful for many reasons, such as holding you accountable when you feel an urge to smoke, giving emotional support, and help you find resources to assist in quitting. Additionally, Wright State will offer free counseling for anyone working to quit. 

Bill Blatt’s article, “8 Tips to Quit Smoking for Good in 2017” was posted on Jan. 9, 2017 on the American Lung Association’s website, and can be found here.

---

“This is not something you should do alone."

Story edited by Health & Business Editor Taylor Whitney