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By Michelle J. Jones
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 22, 1996
A walking cigarette, acupuncturists, masseurs and masseuses were all on the UA Mall yesterday encouraging people to quit smoking for at least 24 hours. The event was part of the 20th annual Great American Smokeout, sponsored by the American Cancer Society.Information on quitting was available from a variety of sources at a tent on the Mall, including the employee wellness program, Nicotine Anonymous and the Arizona Smokers' Helpline. Students were encouraged to ask questions and take literature offered on stress, quitting on one's own and weight management.
The Arizona Smokers' Helpline is a free telephone service that offers counseling and "quit kits," as well as providing information on other cessation programs available, said Scott Moldenhauer, project coordinator. The program is run through the Arizona Prevention Center.
If a person wanting to quit smoking calls the Helpline, counselors will set a quit date for the following week, send out a "quit kit," then call the person the day before they quit, the day after they quit and a week after they quit, Moldenhauer said. Counselors are also available by phone for any follow-up counseling or support they need, he said.
Since opening in July 1995, the line has received about 1,500 calls, Moldenhauer said. He said counselors will also help people and provide information if they do not want to quit or if they are unsure.
"Every year, 350,000 people die from things related to smoking. That's more then the total number of people who died in World War I, the Korean War and the Vietnam War combined," Moldenhauer said.
Two acupuncturists provided free demonstrations using the ear and other body points to show people how acupuncture can help curb the body's craving for nicotine.
P. Alaina Speraw, a licensed acupuncturist, said the pressure points emphasized help calm the nervous system, cleanse the lungs and the large intestine and strengthen the immune system. She said the acupuncture helps the person while the nicotine leaves the body and the body restores itself to homeostasis, or a balance.
"Acupuncture is based on a system that is thousands of years old. There have been studies that have shown great success rates for treating addictions like cocaine and alcohol, and it really is a very effective method for fighting an addiction," Speraw said.
Speraw and Reginald Stone, also a licensed acupuncturist, patched small metal balls onto people's ears. The balls were left there until they fell off, and people could put pressure on them throughout the day to stimulate the point, Speraw said. They also inserted needles into body pressure points that stimulated the lung to clear it of any toxins, she said.
"There has been a lot of interest in this. It seems like everybody is curious. They want to know what it can do for them, and if it hurts," Stone said.
Kenne Adams, music education junior, said he could not even feel the needle Speraw inserted into his arm. He said he quit smoking at the beginning of the school year, but that he still gets the urge to smoke, so he thought he would see if the acupuncture works.
Speraw said the needle in Adams' arm stimulated his large intestine and would clean the body of toxins and have a calming effect on the body.
Hatsumi Tarbox, UA employee, said she has been smoking off and on for over 30 years, and that she is really trying to quit. She tried the acupuncture, and was waiting for one of the free massages.
"I wanted to see what they were doing today," she said. "I don't want to smoke, and I hate the smell of smoke, but my body really craves the nicotine. I want to smoke every couple of hours, and that is what I am trying to stop."
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