SMOKEBUSTERS HELP SMOKERS TO SNUFF HABIT

Area smokers are being encouraged to snuff out their cigarettes today and become part of the 15th Great American Smokeout.

Special events are being held today at Cape Girardeau businesses and Southeast Missouri State University. The events will feature "Smokebusters" designed to encourage non-smoking and university students, dressed as cigarettes, who will distribute information about smoking.

Teachers at schools in both Cape Girardeau and Jackson, at their discretion, will also distribute informational Smokeout kits to students, said Toni Zimmer, a representative of the American Cancer Society in Cape Girardeau.

The Great American Smokeout is a national effort, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, to encourage smokers to give up cigarettes for 24 hours.

At Mercantile Bank's three locations in Cape Girardeau, workers known as "Smokebusters" will adopt an employee who smokes, said the bank's Cape Girardeau marketing director, Karen Green.

"The Smokebusters will be assigned to be encouragers," said Green, also a member of the American Cancer Society's Cape Girardeau board. "We won't allow smoking."

Survival kits also will be available for the bank's smokers. Included inside will be candy cigarettes, headless matches, and Lifesavers, said Green.

At Southeast Missouri State University, several students will be dressed as cigarettes, Zimmer said.

The university will also offer "cold-turkey" lunches in residence halls and at the University Center, Zimmer said.

Zimmer said both Cape Girardeau hospitals are conducting some in-service programs focusing on smoking this week. Smoking will not be allowed in the hospitals starting Jan. 1. New nationwide regulations for hospital accreditation mandate that as of that date, smoking will no longer be allowed in accredited health-care facilities.

The hospitals, Zimmer said, also are featuring cold-turkey lunches. "They're trying to condition the employees not to smoke to get ready for this Jan. 1 (deadline)," she said.

Debbie Leoni at Southeast Missouri Hospital said the hospital planned a number of activities to help make its employees aware of the health risks associated with smoking. Leoni is director of Southeast's Fitness and Wellness Center.

The hospital is awarding frozen turkeys as prizes in a number of events that will be held in the hospital's cafeteria. The events will include "Shoot the Pack," where a cigarette pack is shot into a basketball hoop, and "Putt it out Golf," a miniature golf game that drives home the point that it's a good time to quit smoking.

Domino's Pizza locations in Cape Girardeau are offering half-off certificates to people who come into the pizza places and say they are going to quit smoking, Zimmer said. Each person also has to turn in a pack of cigarettes. The promotion has been under way since Monday, said Zimmer.

When smokers turn in their cigarettes, they are also given an American Cancer Society survival kit and are registered for a drawing this afternoon for $103, said Gera Schemel, sales manager for Cape Girardeau radio station K-103. Schemel said the drawing is sponsored by the station, Domino's, and Southeast Missouri Hospital.