For Immediate Release

(Los Angeles CA)—USC School of Dentistry, Dental Hygiene Class of 2008 launch a campus and communitywide effort to stop smoking-- in an attempt to address the rise in smoking rates among college age students in conjunction with the Great American Smoke out Day on Thursday, November 15.  USC college students took advantage of the free oral cancer screenings and “stop smoking” kits that were distributed on the USC campus. 

“As part of the health community, our dental hygiene students focus on disease prevention, as it pertains to  oral health,”  Diane Melrose, Director of the USC School of Dentistry, Dental Hygiene Program. Melrose adds, “Tobacco use affects oral health and is life threatening, Today our students are providing their peers on campus with the tools they need to kick the habit.  Not only are they helping our campus community to stop smoking, they are saving lives.”

College students and those with a college education have traditionally smoked at lower rates than those not attending college. This is now changing. According to the American Cancer Society, 20% of college students have admitted to smoking.  Smoking increases the risk factor for heart disease, lung cancer and oral cancer.

Oral Cancer can manifest itself in the following ways, swelling in the mouth, white patches, red patches, speckled red/white patches, dark pigmented areas, non-healing ulcers and dry crusty areas on the lower lip.  If any of these symptoms appear, visit your dentist.   

The dental hygiene students joined with the American Cancer Society, USC Colleges Against Cancer and the USC Pharmacy to help people become aware of the benefits of being tobacco free.

The Great American Smoke out is part of the American Cancer Society Great American Health Challenge, a year round initiative to encourage American’s to adopt  healthy lifestyles to reduce their risk of cancer.

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