"There are no positive reasons to smoke," Western student David Gruner said. "But the nicotine can really control you; it drives you to want to have a cigarette."

In an effort to get smokers to quit their habit, the American Cancer Society sponsors The Great American Smokeout every third Thursday of each November.

"The purpose of the Smokeout is to get smokers to agree to quit smoking for 24 hours," Drug Information Center assistant coordinator Lindsey Forrey said.

"The 24-hour period is a starting point for those who want to quit permanently," Forrey said.

"I work for The Drug Information Center, so when we started to do the promotions for the smokeout, it got me thinking about quitting myself," Western student Jason Suter said. "It's been a month since I quit, but those cravings are still there."

The Drug Information Center decided to promote the Smokeout by offering free pizza to those who are trying to quit and to the friends who support them.

The event took place 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the Viking Union. Boxes of pizza, including cheese and pepperoni from Marriott and the Pizza Pipeline, were laid out on tables in the VU and soon were