UF volunteers participate in 'Kick Butts Day'

March 20, 2012

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida Area Health Education Center Program and UF’s Tobacco-Free Task Force will present information at two locations Wednesday to inform students and others about Kick Butts Day.

Volunteers will staff tables from 9 a.m. to noon at the Plaza of the Americas and from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Health Professions, Nursing and Pharmacy Building. The groups will share information about UF’s tobacco-free policy, free cessation services and Tobacco-Free Florida. They will also measure carbon monoxide levels in individuals.

“Kick Butts Day is a great opportunity to spread the word about UF’s tobacco-free policy and the free cessation services that are available for people who want to quit smoking or using other forms of tobacco,” said Kathy Nichols, assistant director of the AHEC Program and co-director of UF’s Tobacco-Free Task Force. “We know that a person’s chance of quitting more than doubles when he or she receives a combination of counseling and medication, so that is what we provide.”

In addition to free counseling, UF offers free nicotine replacement therapy such as patches, lozenges, and gum.

Kick Butts Day is a national day of activism that empowers youth to speak up and take action against tobacco use at events from coast to coast.