SMOKERS IN AREA TRY TO KICK THE HABIT

Abby Simms didn't smoke a cigarette on Thursday.

"I've tried to quit before, but it's like some people are genetically more inclined to get addicted than others," said Simms, a smoker for 31 years. "I once quit for three weeks, but I always go back."

Simms and millions of other smokers across the country put their habit on ice Thursday participating in the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout.

Last year, an estimated 5.8 million people stayed off cigarettes for more than one day prompted by the Smokeout.

"I'm going to stop smoking for as long as I can," Simms said. "All the reasons to stop are in my head, but I've never made the connection."

Although Simms has never joined a support group to stop smoking, she said that she's participated in the Smokeout every year, with varying degrees of success each time.

"Someday I'm not going to have to quit for a day or so; I'm not going to smoke at all," Simms said.

The Smokeout aims at abstinence from smoking for at least 24 hours, on a personal as well as corporate level.

St. Francis Medical Center, Southeast Missouri Hospital, Taco John's, Dana Corp., MagnaTel and Ceramo conducted large-scale programs to discourage workers from smoking.

Judy Stricker, educational coordinator at St. Francis Medical Center, coordinated the hospital's efforts for the Smokeout.

The medical center set up a display at the door for all of its employees to see, festooned with information about the dangers of smoking. Workers were given a "survival kit" with educational brochures, promotional buttons and "quit tips" as they entered the building.

"We're doing several things (for the Smokeout), but we try to continue the campaign throughout the year," Stricker said.

Stricker said that more children are beginning to smoke at very early ages - especially girls - and are having an extremely difficult time quitting.

To combat the problem, St. Francis is a sponsor of the Smoke-Free Class of 2000 project, teaching young students the dangers of smoking and how to promote a smoke-free environment.

The hospital, in conjunction with the local chapters of the cancer, heart and lung organizations and Southeast Missouri State University, will also sponsor a support group for smokers who want to quit but have not been able to do so on their own.

"We're going to meet twice a month once at lunchtime and once in the evening," said Stricker. "We don't want people to miss the meetings because of work or family obligations."

Dana Corp. joined the campaign for the first time this year in grand style.

Smoking employees were urged to sign a contract promising not to smoke for at least one day, and non-smoking employees signed contracts pledging to help their smoking co-workers any way they could.

Survival kits with leaflets, candy and gum were given to all employees.

"We're really enjoying this," said Diane Bauman, coordinator of activities at Dana Corp. "We've all had lots of fun, and for a good cause."

Employees were treated to a cold turkey lunch and participated in ashtray throwing contests, with the winner receiving a $25 gift certificate for a cold turkey.

Bauman said that she's glad that her company participated in the Smokeout.

"We have a tobacco-free environment (at Dana Corp.) and I think that this kind of thing will help make the workplace a more satisfying environment," Bauman said.

Meanwhile, the Doonesbury cartoon strip character, Mr. Butts, roamed the halls of Southeast Missouri Hospital throughout the day, visiting with patients and employees discussing the dangers of smoking.

The hospital also distributed leaflets, flyers and survival kits to employees and patients.

St. Francis Medical Center, Southeast Missouri Hospital and Taco John's pooled funds to sponsor the radio station KEZS to broadcast live during the day from area schools, spreading the word of the American Cancer Society.

The American Cancer Society was also hitting hard at the pocket-book level. Flyers were distributed throughout the area, appealing to the common sense of smokers by demonstrating the amount of money that could be saved by not smoking.

Sounding somewhat like a "get rich quick" ad, the flyer read, "Save $1,000 or more! Feel Better! Add Years To Your Life! Put Cash in Your Pocket!"

A person who smokes two packs of cigarettes a day could save $1,280 a year by kicking the habit, said the flyer.

The American Cancer Society estimates that there is nearly 38 million ex-smokers in the United States.

One ex-smoker spent Thursday choosing to kick a tobacco company for fueling his habit.

A Cahokia, Ill., man is suing R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. the second largest tobacco company in the country for $3 million for misrepresenting the dangers involved with smoking.

Charles Kueper, who smoked a pack and a half of Winston cigarettes every day for 30 years, is dying of lung cancer and blames Reynolds for a conspiracy out of greed to hide the dangers of smoking.

Kueper's attorney, Bruce Cook, claims that he can prove in the trial that there was a conspiracy to keep smokers smoking and to recruit children to smoke.

The trial, in Belleville, Ill., could last a month or more.