By Sidney Tencza | @kykernel

[email protected]

Students learned about the harmful effects of tobacco through colorful booths and banners Tuesday.

University Health Service partnered with the College of Pharmacy Student Advisory and the Tobacco-free Campus Initiative Task Force to raise awareness Tuesday of the dangers of tobacco use.

“We want to get that information out now before it’s a chronic problem,” said Brittany Bowen, a third-year pharmacy school student and a coordinator of the event.

On site, a booth was set up with trivia, food, drinks, T-shirts and more. The UK soccer team also took part and interacted with students. White banners with handprints were displayed to represent the lives that are lost to tobacco each year with one hand representing five lives.

Also, black handprints were scattered throughout the banners to represent the 30 percent of UK students who smoke. Fadyia Lowe, a tobacco treatment specialist for University Health Service, spoke of the main goal of the event.

“Just to be aware of the large number of people that die every year and how to help somebody quit or how to quit themselves,” Lowe said.

Lowe added that hookah education is another type of tobacco use the group is highlighting. Lowe said one session of hookah could be equivalent to inhaling 200 cigarettes. Because of the location, an estimated 3,000 students passed by the event, according to Lowe.

“People are definitely curious about what is going on,” said Ryan Mahan, a first-year pharmacy student.

Sophomore marketing major Samra Nageye stopped in on the event.

“I think it’s a great way to get people to become educated about smoking anything,” Nageye said. “It caught my attention.”

To learn more about the prevention of tobacco use, visit www.uky.edu/tobaccofree.