Kicking the smoking habit is not easy, but Healthy U and Olin Health Center have teamed up to offer a free, monthly Quit Tobacco Workshop for the MSU community to help smokers take the first step to quitting.

"It's a very user-friendly workshop," said Rebecca Allen, a spokeswoman for Olin Health Center.

It's not only for people who have their heart set on quitting. It's for anyone who has ever thought of giving up smoking, she said.

"We're not requiring people to be there ready to quit," she said. "It's very low pressure."

The workshop explains how addiction works, what resources are available to smokers and helps them develop a personalized quitting plan, said Amy Moore, one of the coordinators of the workshop.

"Preparation is more important than any other factors when it comes to quitting," she said.

This is a new venture for MSU, and it's something that should be provided by the university, Moore said.

The workshop is a combined effort from Olin Health Center and Healthy U, which is a health education program for those in the MSU community.

Mark Geahan, a university employee and smoker for 25 years, attended the Quit Tobacco Workshop on Tuesday.

He has tried quitting several different ways including cold turkey, the patch and a pharmaceutical called Wellbutrin.

"I was very pleased with (the workshop)," he said. "They give you a lot of different tools to quit and coach you on ways to prepare yourself to quit."

The workshop was also informative on the different chemicals that go into cigarettes.

"It's pretty scary to know that tobacco companies put ammonia in cigarettes to enhance nicotine's effect," he said.

Geahan said he plans on quitting by recognizing situations that he associates with smoking and avoiding them.

Jon Beard, a 20-year-old East Lansing resident, has been smoking cigarettes regularly for six years.

Beard smokes about a pack a day and has tried quitting several times.

"Quitting is really stressful," he said. "Everything seems to get on your nerves; the slightest thing can set you off."

Not only does smoking help relieve stress, it also serves a social function, he said. It's something he and his friends like to do together.

Amber Faber, a Grand Valley State University psychology junior, has also tried to quit cold turkey.

"I just didn't smoke," she said. "But it only lasted a few days."

The workshop does not claim to be able to help smokers quit instantly. It simply provides a way for them to learn more about tobacco and quitting in general, Allen said.

Research shows that smokers who quit usually do it on their own, Olin Health Center educator Jonathan Kermiet said.

To do it they need to get rid of any social cues to smoke, and a workshop can help smokers recognize those cues, he said.

The same workshop was also held twice in the spring.

Although students seemed receptive during the workshop, it cannot yet be determined how well the workshop worked because quitting is a long process, Allen said.

MSU students or faculty who are interested in attending can sign up by calling (517) 353-2596 or can send an e-mail to healthyu@msu.edu.