(U-WIRE) LINCOLN, Neb. -- Every year millions of people make new year's resolutions. Every year millions of people break them. This year, smokers trying to kick the habit can get a little more help in keeping their resolutions because of a new program. The University of Nebraska Medical Center has created the "Guide to Quitting: Facts about Smoking Cessation," an anti-smoking compact disc. The interactive CD is a step-by-step guide for smokers to understand why they smoke and how it affects their bodies, said Paul Magistretti. Magistretti works at the Nebraska Office for Tobacco Control and Research at UNMC. The CD explains the physical and psychological effects of smoking, Magistretti said. It was sponsored by a grant from Nebraska Health System University Hospital Auxiliary in 1998. "It is a very useful tool in teaching people what's going in the lungs when they smoke," Magistretti said. One goal of the project was to avoid generalization and focus on the individual. The best method to stop smoking varies from person to person, Magistretti said. The interactive guide suggests ways to quit smoking: nicotine patches, nicotine gum, counseling sessions, medication and cold turkey. The CD features video clips of smokers giving personal testimonies, which allows viewers to find someone they can relate to and see how smoking affected someone else's life. The guide can be especially useful for college students because many of them don't think about the long-term effects of their actions, Magistretti said. The CD doesn't condone or condemn smoking, it just gives viewers the facts. "This isn't a 'don't smoke' CD. It just tells what can happen to you if you do smoke," Magistretti said. Emily Williams, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln freshman elementary education major, thought the CD could be beneficial to some people. "I don't think the CD will motivate people to stop smoking, but if someone really wants to quit it could be helpful," Williams said. Glenn Connot, a UNL freshman anthropology major, quit smoking on Dec. 31, 1999. He said he quit for a variety of reasons: the cost and smell of cigarettes, as well as family and friends complaining about his smoking. Connot said he would use the CD if there were more available. "I wouldn't go to the library and use it, but if it was handed out at Big Red Welcome or came in the mail, I would look at it," he said. Because of limited funding, the CD is not yet available for individuals. It has been distributed to public institutions such as libraries, high schools and churches, but it is not yet available at UNL's Love Library.

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