Press Release

Third annual KISS Me student campaign

Columbia, Mo. (Feb. 12, 2008) - For the third consecutive year, MU students are getting the message that Valentine's Day romance and not smoking go together. The event is expanding into a student wellness fair, which will take place on Wednesday, February 13, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in the Stotler Lounge of Memorial Union on the MU Campus.

To drive home the health angle, this year's theme is "KISS Me, Just for the Health of It." The free event is open to all MU students and is sponsored by PASS, the Wellness Resource Center, and Campus-Community Alliances for Smoke-Free Environments, or CASE.

The fair will feature health and wellness education and interaction activities from a variety of participants including: The Starting Block, Peak Performance, Ping My Health, University Physicians Dermatology Department, Kilgore's Pharmacy, MU Office of Financial Success, and others. Students will learn about their health through interactive booths focused on various aspects of health and wellness. Free t-shirts and snacks will be available.

According to a 2006 Wellness Survey conducted by the MU Wellness Resource Center, 88 percent of MU students prefer to kiss a non-smoker. In addition, only 19 percent of MU students smoke and 65 percent of these smokers want to quit.

"We want to encourage students to remain smoke-free or try to quit by showing them how their whole life will benefit: from getting a greater lung capacity to keeping more of their money," said Devin Lammy, health promotion specialist and PASS advisor. "We also want to spread the word that there are free cessation resources on campus and in the community for smokers who want to quit."

PASS is an MU student group dedicated to educating fellow students about the dangers of secondhand smoke and promoting smoke-free environments and cessation services.

The Wellness Resource Center provides comprehensive, campus-wide prevention through educational programs, publications, and events. In keeping with the mission of the University of Missouri, the center serves college students throughout the state with their prevention coalition, Missouri Partners in Prevention.

CASE is a group of leading researchers and experts on the health effects of secondhand smoke. CASE has expertise in addictions, health promotion, psychology, public health, strategic communication and project evaluation. The CASE team of professionals, in partnership with already existing statewide organizations, is working to improve the health of Missouri communities, complement existing tobacco control efforts, and build an infrastructure that can sustain successful programs for years to come. CASE is funded by a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health. For more information, visit the CASE website: http://www.casemo.org.