Although the Student Health Center (SHC) has long supported students who want to kick their smoking addictions through a cessation program this year senior Eli Sayegh has worked alongside Jennifer Whitlock an SHC physician’s assistant to make the program more affordable. Sayegh’s belief that smoking is a problem on campus prompted this action on his part.
According to Sayegh no students signed up for the previous smoking cessation program this year. Because of his concern for the health of students at Pepperdine he partnered with Whitlock to create a less expensive and more appealing program to help students stop smoking.
Students could participate in the previous SHC smoking cessation program at a cost of $400. Seeing high costs as a significant psychological barrier for would-be quitters Sayegh and Whitlock trimmed the price tag to $250 and have received subsidization for 10 students.
Sayegh received a $1550 grant from Pepperdine’s Social and Service Action Committee to help fund the subsidized price for participating students.This grant gives 10 students the opportunity to try the first stage of the program virtually risk-free and cost-free with priority given to those with financial need. If the program goes well and the student chooses to proceed to the next stage he or she will only have to pay about $100 in total.
Although the program boasts a reduced price tag Whitlock said students will still receive extensive services. “The program follows current best practices for evaluation treatment and follow-up Whitlock said. [It] includes health risk evaluation by a medical practitioner labs counseling and medication treatment.”
According to Whitlock adequate support and close follow-up is proven to be the most important factor when a person is trying to quit smoking. The program will provide participants with counseling through the Student Counseling Center as well as office visits with a medical practitioner at the SHC.
“It is definitely good that they offer it freshman Katelyn Pior said. It should be an available resource at an affordable price.”
Whitlock emphasized that although the program employs effective tactics student motivation is key and often lacking. “The Student Health Center has found that most students at this stage in their life do not have the motivation to quit because smoking has not affected their health yet Whitlock said, or they don’t feel as though it has progressed to an addiction.”
Still Sayegh is optimistic. “We’ve already seen a substantial interest in the program both from people themselves and for their friends who smoke Sayegh said. We’ve noticed how people open up to quitting when they’re given some support to try it out.”
According to a 2009 survey conducted by the National College Health Association 14 percent of Pepperdine students reported smoking cigarettes within the last 30 days.
This program may prove particularly helpful if Pepperdine ends up banning smoking on campus.
“There have been some preliminary conversations on this topic with the deans? of each of Pepperdine’s five schools Associate Provost Jay Brewster said. There is a national trend toward college and university campuses becoming smoke-free in the interest of public health. This is not a settled issue here at Pepperdine but it is a point of active discussion.”
Some students though are skeptical of the new program’s effectiveness.
“That kind of program isn’t going to be very effective because most people seek out their friends to help them rather than go to their school for support freshman Noah Webster said.
Junior Kopper Overton disagreed. This program sounds like a great idea she said. I have never heard of a program that is directed toward younger people and with a lower cost this will give students more of an incentive to quit smoking.”
The program lasts three months and students can begin to participate as early as this summer.
Sayegh a graduating senior hopes the program will become a campus mainstay. “If this helps 10 students— even only one student— kick a bad habit and lead a healthier life then it’ll have been one of the most worthwhile things I’ve been involved in he said.