A Message from:
Sarah Van Orman, MD, MMM, FACHA, Chief Health Officer, USC Student Health, Division Chief for College Health, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Deona Willes, MPH, CLS, Executive Director, USC Environmental Health and Safety
Lara Hilton, PhD, MPH, Director, USC WorkWell Center
USC is committed to promoting a healthy, safe, and comfortable environment for all faculty, staff, students, and visitors. This includes having a smoke-free campus and encouraging our community to participate in the Great American Smokeout on Nov. 17, 2022.
Please join us for the following events, during which you can learn more about the risks associated with smoking and resources for implementing a plan that commits to a smoke-free life:
The Great American Smokeout Information Tables (on-campus)
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 11 a.m.– 2 p.m., McCarthy Quad (at the UPC Farmers Market)
The Great American Smokeout Quit Resource Fair (virtual)
Thursday, Nov. 17, 12:15 p.m.–12:45 p.m., Register for the Great American Smokeout Quit Resource Fair
Representatives from the following sponsoring organizations will attend both events and will be happy to answer your questions: USC WorkWell Center, USC Student Health, USC Environmental Health & Safety, USC Employee Health Plans, USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, USC School of Pharmacy, USC Premier Care, and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center AYA Program.
We have also included helpful resources below for those who smoke and those who want to support and encourage loved ones who smoke.
Tobacco Cessation Resources and Information
For USC resources, refer to the Tobacco cessation resources page on the Employee Gateway.
Additional resources:
The City of Los Angeles’ Tobacco Enforcement Program provides promotional and educational materials. For support in quitting, including free quit coaching, a free quit plan, free educational materials, and referrals to local resources, visit laquits.com or call 1-800-784-8669.
The American Cancer Association’s website offers information to help yourself or help others to cease tobacco product usage.
Information on USC’s smoke-free campuses
Smoking is prohibited in all indoor and outdoor facilities on university-owned and leased property with no exception, including within vehicles parked on those properties. For more information, refer to USC’s Smoke-Free Policy.
Great American Smokeout Zoom backgrounds
Zoom background and other promotional materials are available for download here.
Risks associated with smoking
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases, and reduces the health of smokers in general. Quitting smoking lowers your risk for smoking-related diseases and can add years to your life. After you smoke your last cigarette, your body begins a series of positive changes that continues for years.
- More than 16 million Americans are living with a disease caused by smoking. Additionally, about 54,010 new cases and 10,850 deaths occur yearly from oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer.
- For every person who dies because of smoking, at least 30 people live with a serious smoking-related illness. We know that adults who smoke have a higher risk of getting sick with pneumonia and having severe illness from infections like the flu or contracting COVID-19. As a reminder, flu vaccinations are available for all USC faculty, students, and staff.
- Researchers at USC’s Keck School of Medicine have identified using e-cigarettes linked to adverse biological changes that can cause disease in a recent vaping study.
- Smoking also impacts the health and well-being of others. Secondhand smoke exposure contributes to approximately 41,000 deaths among nonsmoking adults and 400 deaths among infants yearly.
If you smoke, the best choice for your lung health and the health of others is to quit. Thank you for considering quitting or supporting those who are in the process of quitting, and for observing the smoke-free policies of our campuses. Our community appreciates your efforts!
