Local Healthy Living Options for UNCP Students
UNCP’s annual Health and Wellness Fair took place in the University Center Lounge on March 20 as vendors from American Red Cross, Southeastern Community Health Services and other local businesses looked to provide students with information on services to help them lead healthier lives.
Southeastern Community Health advertised a new fitness center at their facility where students can work out and stay in shape.
“You have your gym on campus, but we’re just trying to give students even more options as far as fitness and wellness,” Southeastern’s representative Branson Locklear said.
In addition to the fitness center, Southeastern also has an urgent care unit, health clinics and other medical services they provide.
The facility is located at 923 W 3rd St, Pembroke, NC 28372 across from Papa Bill’s restaurant and just up the road from Dollar General.
The Robeson County Health Department and Quitline partnered to share with UNCP students the dangers of smoking. The representatives at their booth let students use a device to detect the amount of secondhand smoke they’ve been exposed to.
“We’re trying to inform folks of the dangers of tobacco and vaping. Even though vaping has reduced nicotine, it still has nicotine. Even though smoking rates have decreased significantly, vaping rates have increased,” said Ernest Watts, Region Eight tobacco lead of the Robeson County health department.
Per Watts, Vaping rates are up 600 percent in middle schools and 250 percent in high schools. E-Cigarettes and other electronic smoking devices are not just being used for tobacco, but cannabis oil, opioids and heroin as well. According to Watts, vaping also presents the danger of accidents such as burns and exploding.
Quitline offers gum and nicotine patches for any individuals looking to quit smoking. Their hotline number is 1-800-784-8669.
The Pregnancy Center of Dillon County was also present. The organization specializes in pregnancy care for young women can refer for a full-body life center. The Christian-based business does not refer for abortion, but rather promotes other options such as abstinence and post-abortion counseling for young women looking to manage their sexual health.
Various door prizes and goodie bags were given out to the students to go along with the useful information from each table.
“Every year we do a health and wellness fair. We try to focus on vendors that have something that they can offer specifically to the college students, useful information they can pick up to live healthier,” director of Student Health Services Cora Bullard said.
Campus Recreation, CAPS, Student Health Services and Sodexo make up the committee that puts together the event and arranges the vendors.
#health #campuslife #uclounge #redcross #SCH #uncpstudents #RCHDQuitline
