Nicole Robinson

Students at UW-Eau Claire who frequently light up a cigarette may have a solution to help them “wear” out the habit.

Student Health Services is now offering free nicotine patches for students in an attempt to help them quit smoking.

Joanne Mellema, a senior physician at Student Health Services, said she hopes this service will help those thinking about quitting.

“Smoking is very closely associated with a host of medical problems,” Mellema said. “People who can quit smoking will do one of the biggest things that they can do for themselves from a health standpoint.”

The patches, which range in retail value from $35 to $50 for 14, are designed to break the smoking habit during a six to eight week treatment period. During the first four weeks, one patch a day containing a 21-milligram dosage of nicotine is recommended. The dosage tapers off from 21 to 14 and finally to seven in the last four weeks.

“Overall, I think a lot of people who use the patch do like it. It’s been fairly successful,” said Kris Hayden, an outreach specialist for the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention. “The benefits of quitting far outweigh the continuation of smoking.”

The Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, located at the UW Medical School, provides the funds for the distribution of the patches. So far, the free patch distribution also is available at UW-Stevens Point, UW-Oshkosh and UW-Green Bay.

Sophomore Cristina Hookstead, a smoker, said free patch distribution is a good idea, but it has some holes in it.

“Unless they’re going to put supportive services with it … I don’t think it’s going to be very effective,” Hookstead said. “It depends on the environment the student is in.”

While the patch alone is the user’s responsibility, Hayden said, there are services to help students along the process. A service is the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line, which provides multiple services like expert counseling to referrals to other programs.

“(People) can call once, they can call multiple times,” Hayden said. “It’s just one of those tools that people can certainly use.”

Hayden said that the young adult population between ages 18 to 24 has a smoking rate that needs to be addressed. According to studies done by the center, over the course of four years, 80 percent of daily smokers in college continue to smoke afterward.

Freshman Zac Schmitz, a non-smoker, said it’s good to see efforts to help a person quit a life-threatening and addictive habit.

“College students are always going after free stuff,” he said. “I think they’ll at least try it.”

The patches will be available only during this semester, Hayden said, because they will eventually expire by Jan. 1, 2005 and the costs for the project will run out. Hayden did not have any figures on how much the patch distribution costs the center.

Despite these limits, Vice Chancellor Andy Soll said he is pleased with all-around effort of the center and the university.

“What we’re trying to do is encourage students to lead a healthier lifestyle,” Soll said. “Smoking cessation can be a part of that.”

Junior April Mehrkens, a smoker, said the patch can be effective, but someone trying to quit also has to psychologically want to leave the habit.

If anything, the overall goal of the program, Hayden said, is to help students and enhance their lifestyle in the future.

“There are a lot a students that are smoking,” she said. “If we can help them at this age … it’s just going to set them up for a healthier lifestyle.”