EDITORIAL: "Quitters Sometimes Win"

Make today the first dayMake today the first dayof the rest of yourMake today the first dayof the rest of yournon-smoking life.Make today the first dayof the rest of yournon-smoking life._________________________ Statistics suggest that tobacco claims one life every 13 seconds. In a 24-hour period, as many people could die from tobacco as there are students in the sophomore, junior and senior classes. The equivalent of the campus population will die by this time next week. This marks the 16th year the Smokeout has been held. Its sponsors have been trying to encourage people to stop smoking for longer than most Penn students have been smoking. Many smokers say they could quit at any time -- they just prefer not to. Today, though, smokers are asked to prove they can quit, whether they want to or not. We dare you. We even double dare you. Obviously, there is nothing particularly special about this day that makes it a better day to quit smoking than any other day. But it is always better to quit today, rather than tomorrow. All smokers quit eventually. But not all of them do it voluntarily. Yes, we realize that it can be tough to quit on your own. So we encourage you to buddy up with someone and offer him or her the moral support that can make the difference. To find out more, contact the American Cancer Society or call 1-800-227-2345 for more information.