California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State) hosted a campus clean-up on April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the Peer Health Educators (PHE) program. 

PHE is a volunteer program that informs students about health education. Among the various topics discussed in this program are:

·      Stress management

·      Nutrition

·      General health and wellness

·      Sexual health

·      Tobacco and other drugs

April 22 was marked as national Earth Day in 1970. Earth Day represents an awareness for environmental pursuit and wellness across the United States. Earth Day has been acknowledged across many advocate groups, campuses, students and political figures.

“Earth Day to me is a way of showing awareness of the importance of taking care of the environment,” said Christina Yohanan (Kinesiology, senior). “I do consider myself an environmentalist, I’m vegan, I reign very heavily on a lot of environmental issues. Earth day is a chance for people like me to go out to the community like Stanislaus State and say, Hey, you know what? We care about the environment. We care about Stanislaus State, our community members on campus, our community members as a whole in Turlock.”

PHE had thirteen RSVP members volunteer during their Earth Day: Campus Clean-Up event. This year’s theme was “butt hunt,” a cigarette butt clean up around campus. When volunteers completed their task they would lay out their tobacco litter findings on a tarp and take a picture. These photos would emphasize the awareness and concern of the amount of cigarette butts around campus.

“I’m very passionate about Earth Day (…) Helping cleaning up our campus and make Stanislaus State a better place for students is important to me,” said Yohanan. ”The cigarette butt clean up is an annual event here at Stan State on Earth Day, and we pick up tobacco liter products, not just cigarette butts.”

Volunteers, along with a couple of drop-ins from PHE, walked in pairs around campus to collect tobacco litter. According to their Tobacco Litter Collection Instructions sheet, their collections included:

• Butts from any cigarette, cigar or similar item

• Wrappers for individually wrapped cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos or similar item

• Boxes or other materials used for packaging multiple cigarettes, cigars, cigarillo or similar items

• Spit tobaccos cases, cans or pouches.

• Lighters, including matches or other devices

• Other items associated with smoking products (i.e vaping products)

PHE has been working hard to keep and raise awareness of all the tobacco litter or cigarette butts on campus. A growing concern that leads to an unhealthy environmental status on campus. 

“Cleaning up our campus I believe, a healthier earth and a healthier campus will ultimately make healthier students.” said Yohanan.
For more information about PHE and their program, visit the Student Health Center or contact their Health Educator Hannah Day at 209-664-6593.