CASE in Action - 2007

December 2007

• 7 - SMASH released the results of the tobacco use and exposure survey they conducted among MSU students and staff during their Healthy Stress Relief Fair on Sept. 27. Results show that of the 682 people who completed the survey, 74% supported a tobacco-free campus, 80% supported smoke-free workplaces, 78% were "bothered" by cigarette butts on the ground, specifically around campus, and 99% supported clean-air environments.

• 5 - PASS-SEMO participated in the first ever Health and Wellness Fair at the University Center on the SEMO campus. They handed out information on the dangers of secondhand smoke, gave out calendars for quitting cold turkey and provided information on how to prepare to quit smoking.

• 4 - PASS-MU students had an information table at the Safe Holiday Break Resource Fair on the MU campus. They handed out information on tobacco cessation and the dangers of secondhand smoke and collected over 200 names of MU students to be included in a thank you letter to the City Council for passing the smoking ordinance.

November 2007

• 15 - PASS-SEMO celebrated the 2007 Great American Smokeout with educational tabling on the Southeast Missouri State University campus. They gave out PASS/CASE promotional magnets with tobacco facts and educational materials about the dangers of smoking, second-hand smoke and the Great American Smokeout. Students also collected names of peers and faculty who support a smoke-free campus and gave out discount coupons for turkey sandwiches as part of the PASS Cold Turkey campaign.

• 13 & 15 - SMASH celebrated the 2007 Great American Smokeout with a showing of the movie "Thank you for smoking" on the Missouri State University campus. The first 100 people got free T-shirts and everyone enjoyed free popcorn. Close to 300 people attended both showings. Relay for Life and Campus Coalition for Our Environment had information booths and organizers had a presentation about smoking and secondhand smoke before the movie. Click here to see the presentation.

• 12-15 - PASS-MSSU launched a series of activities as part of their "Clean O2 for MOSO" week, which celebrated the 2007 Great American Smokeout on the Missouri Southern State University campus. Students, faculty and staff filled out approximately 250 surveys and received free T-shirts. Various activities raised awareness about the health effects and the financial burden of smoking. To demonstrate the health hazards of smoking, organizers asked students to drink from regular-size straws and coffee stirrer straws, which showed the difference in the breathing capacity of a non-smoker vs. a smoker. Students were also challenged to estimate the price of a jar full of cigarettes and watched videos about secondhand smoke. The last day, organizers hosted a health fair with information booths by the American Caner Society, Jasper County Health Department, MSSU Student Activities, Ozark Center of Joplin, MSSU Respiratory Therapy and PASS/CASE. Between 200 and 300 people attended each day.

• 12-15 - PASS-UMSL celebrated the 2007 Great American Smokeout with educational tabling on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. The three-day event featured giving out information on quitting smoking and T-shirts, exchanging cold turkey sandwiches for packs of cigarettes, and holding a raffle for a frozen turkey. About 200 people attended.

• 7, 14, 28, Dec. 5 - PASS-TSU conducted a free tobacco cessation program on the TSU campus in Kirksville. They held a 5-week peer-taught cessation program and gave away free nicotine replacement patches and gum to participants. All TSU students, faculty and staff were eligible to participate. The local pharmacy Rider Drug and volunteering physicians joined the effort to provide participants with personalized cessation consultations and other help. The Student Health Center and the Counseling Center offered private services upon request. Seven people participated and all were successful in quitting. Erin Black, the health promotion specialist for Kirksville, had this to say about the event: "This is the first successful smoking resource on Truman's campus as it has been suggested before but not actually followed through with. We hope to bring the cessation program back to the campus in February and March 2008 and incorporate it in our KISS Me Campaign."

October 2007

• 23 & 29 - PASS-MU participated in the Walk to Wellness Health Fair for MU-Columbia employees at Reynolds Alumni Center. Students helped at the various health booths, which offered free health screenings for blood pressure, fasting glucose, cholesterol, and skin cancer. Employees had the opportunity to enroll in tobacco cessation programs, stress reduction workshops, weight management classes and low-cost exercise programs.

• 20 - PASS-SEMO participated in the Southeast Missouri State University homecoming parade. Students handed out candy and flyers with community facts and information about the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke. Click here to see the flyer.

• 20 - PASS-MU, SAFE, and CASE participated in the MU-Columbia homecoming parade. They were wearing "We love smoke-free Columbia" T-shirts and walking with a 7-foot helium balloon with the slogan "I love smoke-free communities." They also passed out Gatorade to the crowd. "It was great to see so much support along the parade route," said Dean Andersen, CASE project coordinator. "This was a great opportunity to do community education."

• 5 - PASS-MU students volunteered at the Wellness Resource Center's 12-Hour Alcohol Responsibility Walk. Students helped in many areas including working booths, serving food and supporting the walk staff. The walk took place between 12 p.m. and 12 a.m. at Stankowski Field.

• 2 - PASS-MU helped run an MU Student Wellness Advocates (MUSWA) table at the Alcohol Responsibility Month Resource fair with the ADAPT/PAWS peers. The resource fair had a record 800+ participants! The MUSWA table had resources for wellness issues and applications to become a peer in the Wellness Resource Center.

September 2007

• 27 - SMASH held an outdoor Clean Air for Bears! Healthy Stress Relief Fair to offer students and staff healthy stress relief before midterms. They had bounce houses, wax hands, massages, free snacks, and information about secondhand smoke and related issues. Students filled out a survey on tobacco use and exposure to receive a free T-shirt and were entered into a prize drawing. More than 500 surveys were completed and close to 1,000 people participated in the event!

• 21 - SMASH gave away promotional pens to Missouri State University's first-ever dance marathon, Dance Bear-a-thon, as a way to advertise SMASH and support their fundraiser for Children's Miracle Network in the Ozarks. SMASH members also danced in the all-night event.

• 19 - SMASH conducted a contact table on the Missouri State University campus where they handed out fliers about their upcoming Healthy Stress Relief Fair (Sept. 27) and informational materials about secondhand smoke.

• 10 - SMASH conducted a contact table on the Missouri State University campus. They gave out information about SMASH and their upcoming Healthy Stress Relief Fair on Sept. 27 and had several people sign their informal petition for a smoke-free campus. They also made a short presentation during the Introduction to Public Health class. As a result of these two activities, SMASH gained 10 new members.

• 10 - SMASH President Adam Murphy and Health Promotion Specialist Allison Wilson conducted a PowerPoint presentation for the freshman class about the hazards of secondhand smoke and showed the video Secondhand Smoke: Triumphs and Tragedies. An evaluation showed that the majority of students in this freshman class (13 out of 17) support a tobacco-free campus.

• 8 - PASS-MU hosted a state-wide training day for the student groups at the other Missouri campuses. The training included information on tobacco control history, program planning, community and campus advocacy, and allowed the campuses to share their plans and goals for the upcoming academic year.

• 5 - The founding meeting of PASS-SEMO took place on the Southeast Missouri State University campus. Thirteen students from several different majors attend as CASE Health Promotion Specialist Tomeka Merriweather presented PASS activities and goals. Attendees plan to elect officers at their next meeting and will start planning events for the fall semester.

August 2007

• 28 - SMASH conducted a contact table on the Missouri State University campus. They gave out information about SMASH, secondhand smoke and tobacco use.

• 25 - PASS-MU students assisted the American Heart Association with the Columbia Heart Walk. Students volunteered by setting up and tearing down, working an advocacy booth, and assisting participants as needed. This was one of the most successful Heart Walks held in Columbia.

• 22 - Health Promotion Specialist for St. Louis Katie Moore organized a contact table at the student EXPO at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Students saw the effects of smoking on a "mock" smoker's mouth and were encouraged to join PASS and help educate their peers about the dangers of secondhand smoke.

• 19 - Health Promotion Specialist for Cape Girardeau Tomeka Merriweather participated in the Welcome Back Picnic at the Southeast Missouri State University campus. The picnic was sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce and the Chartwells Educational Dining Service. Tomeka raised awareness about the local chapter of PASS, which is currently being established with the goal of making the SEMO campus smoke-free. Students filled out a survey to receive a T-shirt and were entered into a drawing for a gift basket. More than 161 students participated in the event!

• 19 - SMASH students participated in the New Student Festival on the Missouri State University campus. They gave out brochures to interested freshmen about secondhand smoke on campus and SMASH. About 20 people signed up to join SMASH and many others signed an informal petition for a smoke-free campus. SMASH also made contact with other student organizations and discussed future partnerships.

July 2007

• 19 & 24 - SMASH had an educational booth in Plaster Students Union on the Missouri State University campus. They displayed brochures about secondhand smoke from Breathe Easy Springfield, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, and gave away book marks and water bottles. They also got signatures of students supporting a smoke-free campus and recruited several new members of SMASH.

June 2007

• 26-Aug. 29 - For 10 consecutive weeks, CASE held a Tuesday Nites Dine-Out sweepstakes in Columbia. The aim of this summer event was to invite patrons to celebrate Columbia's smoke-free dining scene and to thank local businesses for their continuous support for a healthier community. Each week people who dined out on Tuesdays and registered their receipt on the CASE website had a chance to win $25 gift certificates to over 50 Columbia restaurants and a monthly grand prize of $200 of dinner and entertainment. By the end of the sweepstakes, CASE had given away 100 weekly gift certificates of $25 and 3 monthly grand prizes and receipts from close to 100 local restaurants had been registered on the website. Click here to learn more.

• 7 - PASS-MU President Traci Harr and fellow member Mike Puricelli presented PASS's recommendations for a campus smoking policy to the staff of the MU Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs. The presentation was well received and included suggestions such as eliminating language that allows smoking indoors on campus, and allocating specific smoking areas outdoors while removing secondhand smoke from outdoor common areas.

May 2007

• May-July - PASS-MU supported the Wellness Resource Center by assisting with the Summer Welcome Resource fair. They had the opportunity to speak with incoming students and their parents about the center's mission and joining PASS or other peer education groups on campus.

• May-July - PASS-MU member Mike Puricelli was among the seven actors selected from six campus peer education groups to perform in Wellness Skits, a part of the Summer Welcome program at MU. The skits were presented to incoming students and covered alcohol responsibility, secondhand smoke and smoking cessation, sexual health, academic responsibility and other topics. The audience had a chance to ask questions of the actors after the performances.

• 10 - As University of Missouri-Rolla students were moving out of their dorms and heading home for the summer, Health Promotion Specialist 2007 for Rolla and supporters made sure students remembered to check out the upcoming PASS group when they return in the fall. They passed out fliers with statistics on secondhand smoke and the message, "PASS by our booth at Student Life when you return in the fall!"

April 2007

• 30 - SMASH conducted their second contact table at the MSU campus. It was similar to the event on April 23, but had a more colorful display with handmade posters. The result: SMASH recruited a total of 132 student members.

• 27 - PASS-MU participated in Gambling Day on the MU campus. Students disseminated information about the dangers of cigar smoking and tobacco use in casinos.

• 25 - PASS-MU students participated in Natural High Day on the MU campus. The event introduced students to various information and giveaways about healthy ways to combat stress, rather than the unhealthy alternatives of alcohol, drugs or gambling. Students had a chance to relax by playing with puppies and getting shoulder massages. PASS was there to counter the popular belief that cigarettes relieve stress and provide information about the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke.

• 23 - SMASH conducted their first contact table on the MSU campus. They displayed posters from the tobacco control program of the Ministry of Health of British Columbia, Canada, the World Health Organization, the American Lung Association, and the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention about the side effects of smoking, cigarettes' harmful substances, and smoking-related deaths and diseases. They presented a slide show of tobacco-related cancers and gave away brochures and stickers. They tested students' knowledge about secondhand smoke and provided water bottles imprinted with "no smoking" as a reward for participating.

• 23 - Health Promotion Specialist 2007 for Rolla and supporters participated in a wellness fair on the University of Missouri-Rolla campus. They promoted the upcoming smoking cessation program on campus and gave out information about secondhand smoke. Nearly 100 students filled out surveys and inquired about CASE and PASS. Surveys examined students' thoughts on smoking and background with tobacco and whether they would support a smoke-free policy on campus. For photos, click here.

• 21 - PASS-MU students played a central role in the organization of the Ninth Annual Chad Eatherly Memorial 5K Fun Run in Columbia. Chad Eatherly was a peer educator from the Wellness Resource Center who died of unknown causes. The event raised scholarship funds for peer educators from the center.

• 17 - The Springfield Breathe Easy community alliance celebrated its 10th anniversary at St. John's Cancer Center in Springfield. Karl Amelang, Kathy Bruner and Dr. Dalen Duitsman talked about how they started the organization, the challenges, experiences, and memories over the 10 years.

• 16 - PASS-MU President Traci Harr and fellow member Mike Puricelli presented PASS's recommendations for a campus smoking policy to MU Vice- Chancellor's Smoking Policy Taskforce. They covered research on secondhand smoke on college campuses, smoking policies at comparable universities, and student support for decreasing secondhand smoke on the MU campus. PASS's suggestions included eliminating language that allows smoking indoors, allocating specific smoking areas outdoors, and removing secondhand smoke from outdoor common areas.

• 14 - PASS-MU students partnered with the MU Pre-Medical Society to participate in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in Columbia to raise funds for cancer research. Their team contributed by collecting donations and selling barbequed hamburgers and bratwursts that raised nearly $1,000. The entire Relay for Life event raised over $100,000.

• 4 - MSU students held the founding meeting of their campus alliance. They got to learn about CASE and PASS, and the goals of the coalition to raise awareness about and reduce exposure to secondhand smoke. Students set a goal of making MSU smoke free. They named their group SMASH, which stands for Students of Missouri State University Against Smoking Hazards.

• 3 - Election Day in Kirksville! Residents had the opportunity to vote for a smoke-free policy in all public places. PASS-TSU were encouraging students on the TSU campus to vote and providing educational materials. The Breathe Easy coalition was monitoring the polls and getting out the vote from the hospital, workplaces, and medical school. At the end of the day, the smoking ordinance won the support of voters.

March 2007

• 31 - A Kick Butts Day event took place at the Capital Mall in Jefferson City. Tables were set up in every wing of the mall with information about secondhand smoke and smoking cessation. Volunteers manned the booths and the games for children, while the adults got information about secondhand smoke and smoking cessation. Also, the local middle schools participated in a poster contest. The community meeting room in the mall hosted that display and the public voted on the winning poster. The winner of the poster contest was Kristi Baldwin, an eighth grader from Lewis and Clark Middle School. She received a plaque and a pizza party for her class. All other participants got ribbons.

• 30 - Crunch time for the PASS-TSU and Breathe Easy groups as they tried to compile a list of core supporters to be reached on Election Day and to make last minute calls, canvass the community, and plan the events of April 3.

• 28 - A Kick Butts Day event took place at the Plaster Student Union of the Missouri State University campus. Health Promotion Specialist for Springfield Mala A-Manickam gave away pamphlets about secondhand smoke, candies, and discount coupons from the bookstore and Domino's pizza. About 70 students signed up to become members of the MSU peer group.

• 27 - TSU's Student Senate hosted another Candidate's Forum on campus. PASS handed out materials on the quad about the election, ordinance, and the pro-health candidates.

• 24 - The annual Spring Expo took place in Kirksville. Breathe Easy members sponsored a booth for education, cessation help and general smoke-free policy questions. This all-day event allowed the group to inform local business owners and to get exposed to a 2,000-plus audience.

• 22 - The Kirksville City Chamber of Commerce organized the Candidate's Forum where Breathe Easy was asked to host a booth in favor of the proposed smoking ordinance. Several Breathe Easy and PASS-TSU members handed out educational information, answered questions and gave support for the pro-health candidates.

• 20 - Smokebusters at the Kirksville Middle School hosted cancer survivor Don Young for a motivational talk. At the event, Breathe Easy passed out educational materials about smoking and the smoking ordinance on the ballot.

• 19 - Breathe Easy and PASS-TSU were present for the ATSU smoke-free campus ceremony. Coalition members worked with a newly formed ATSU version of Breathe Easy to educate the president of the university and successfully implement a campus-wide policy. The event received wide media coverage and community support.

• 17 - Health Promotion Specialist 2007 for Rolla and supporters participated in the annual St. Patrick's Day parade. They gave away promotional T-shirts with the message, "Kiss Me I'm a Nonsmoker" and information on secondhand smoke.

• 17-16 - PASS-TSU students gave away St. Pats Kiss Me shirts, educational materials about the smoking ordinance on the ballot, city council, and smoking cessation on the TSU quad. Students were asked to wear the shirts on March 17 to local bars and restaurants to show support for the policy change.

• 14 - Students and volunteers in Kirksville began making community-wide phone calls to reach supporting voters.

• 7-1 - The final week for voter registration in Kirksville was under way. Breathe Easy and PASS-TSU registered about 175 new voters and updated addresses of about 50 additional students. The medical school turned out to be a great place to gain support as close to half of the newly- registered voters come from there.

• 3-1 - A record number of CASE staff and PASS students participated in the seventh annual Meeting of the Minds conference in Kansas City, Mo., which educates students and professionals about peer education and prevention strategies related to tobacco, alcohol, drugs and other wellness topics. CASE was one of the sponsors of the event. For more information, click here.

February 2007

• 14 - CASE sponsored a presentation by Dr. Richard Sargent, vice chairman of the Montana Tobacco Advisory Board, who talked about his findings on the reduction in heart attacks associated with the Helena, Montana Clean Indoor Air Ordinance to the Department of Family and Community Medicine. For more information, click here.

• 14 - The KISS Me campaign also took place at Lincoln University in front of the cafeteria. A "Kissing Booth" was set up with information about joining PASS-LU, health information about secondhand smoke, and CASE. Hershey's kisses and a raffle drew students to the booth and invited them to learn more about secondhand smoke and how it impacted them.

• 14-13 - PASS-MU conducted their second annual KISS (Keep It Smoke-free Sweetheart) Me campaign, which centers around Valentine's Day. For two weeks leading up to the event, they ran ads in the MU student newspaper and sent out e-mails to the entire campus letting students know what they were up to. They also had sandwich boards set up in Brady Commons (the building with the bookstore, food court, and student activities offices). The day before the event, they sent out a news release to the local television stations, which resulted in coverage by KOMU. PASS students chose the theme "We're Bringing Sexy Back" for this year, which listed the top 5 reasons non-smokers are sexy. PASS gave away 600 T-shirts over the two days and "squishy lips" - stress balls in the shape of lips. They also gave away a sticker promoting the free nicotine replacement therapy at the Student Health Center and information about PASS, joining the organization, and smoking cessation services. In order to receive a T-shirt, MU students had to answer a question about a campus tobacco fact. PASS students received very positive feedback from the students receiving T-shirts. For more information, click here.