The Health Education Resource Center will offer habitual smokers a chance to quit.

The Freedom from Smoking Cessation Class is an eight week course that is the gold medal program of smoking cessation clinics, said Eric Davidson, assistant director for the Health Education Resource Center.

Members examine the habit, create a plan of action, execute a quit date and change other lifestyle behaviors in a supportive group format with a trained facilitator, Davidson said.

Each session begins at 4:30 on Tuesday evenings, beginning tonight. The sessions are held in the Student Services Building Room 5019.

Another eight week session for those who missed the first eight-week session begins at 8 p.m. on March 5, Davidson said.

The sessions include topics, such as preparing to quit, the health effects of smoking, reasons to quit smoking, how to help a friend quit smoking, the development and practice of an action plan, getting rid of jitters, relaxation techniques, symptoms of quitting, benefits of quitting, stress management techniques, long-term life changes and a review of the lessons learned, Davidson said.

Davidson encourages interested people to call the Health Education Resource Center as soon as possible if they are interested in the second eight week session.

Those interested in the first eight weeks can just go to the first session tonight.

Davidson said the students who took the eight week session last semester got a lot out of it.

“As far as I know, they are all still smoke-free,” he said. “They said that without the program and the guidance and wisdom they got out of it, they would never have been able to quit.”

Davidson said students who want to try to quit should attend one of the sessions.

The program is being offered with the cooperation of the Coles County Health Department.

For more information, contact the Health Education Resource Center.