Want to quit smoking? There’s an app

The Great American Smokeout is Thursday, making this the ideal time to check out a new iPhone app developed by Columbian Joab Dick.

When Dick quit smoking 15 years ago, he wrote down humorous thoughts on how he benefited from quitting, and he compiled them in a book called “101 Reasons I’m Glad I Quit.”

The app he developed mimics the steps you take to smoke a cigarette. It begins with the image of a cigarette pack on the screen. Tap the phone as if packing the cigarette pack, and a cigarette shows up on the screen with the filter end near the phone’s microphone. When you inhale on the microphone, a puff of smoke shows up on the screen. As the smoke clears, one of the 101 reasons to quit pops up in a speech bubble.

It’s an entertaining way to make a point. Go to his website, 101reasonstoquit.com, for more information.

The app costs 99 cents. The website also offers T-shirts, coffee mugs and copies of the book, which is the size of a cigarette pack and is packaged in cellophane.

If you’re more interested in the traditional stop-smoking programs, go to www.cancer.org or www.sctobacco.org or call the S.C. Tobacco Quitline at (800) 784-8669.

USC study seeking participants with lung cancer

The University of South Carolina is seeking African-Americans in the Midlands who recently have been diagnosed with lung cancer to participate in a new study designed to improve survival rates.

The study, which also includes the University of North Carolina and East Carolina, will run for several years and is funded with a $330,000 grant through the American Cancer Society. The goal of the grant is to identify strategies that encourage patients to follow through on health care instructions.

African-Americans are more likely to develop and die from lung cancer than any other racial or ethnic group.

Information: (803) 799-5022 or ashleye.davis @uscmed.sc.edu.

Carolina-Clemson literally is a blood rivalry

The annual Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive is running through Friday. You don’t have to be a student to donate.

Over the past 27 years of competition, the universities have collected more than 90,000 units of blood, potentially saving more than 270,000 lives. While USC has won the blood drive competition the past four years in a row, Clemson University currently leads the competition with 14 blood drive wins to USC’s 13 wins.

Individuals who are 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds and are generally in good health may be eligible to donate blood.

In Columbia, blood donations may be made at the Russell House ballroom 10 a.m.-7 p.m. today through Friday; at Thomas Cooper Library 11 a.m-6 p.m. today through Friday; at Darla Moore School of Business 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday; at Colonial Life Arena 11 a.m-6 p.m. today; at the Greek Village 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday; and at Carolina Coliseum 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday.

Information: (803) 331-3629 or redcrossblood.org

Conference helps those who lost someone to suicide

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will bring together thousands of people around the world who are bereaved after a suicide loss to share in a day of healing and support on Saturday.

A local International Survivors of Suicide Day conference will be held that day at Virginia Wingard Memorial United Methodist Church, 1500 Broad River Road, Columbia, beginning at noon. The program also will be available online at www.afsp.org.

Information: (803) 552-9318 or hpridgen@afsp.org

Doctors playing music to benefit free clinic

The Doctors Lounge is a chance to see physicians having fun and playing music outside their offices for a good cause.

The annual musical event, which serves as a fund-raiser for The Free Medical Clinic in Columbia, is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

The Office of Research and Statistics estimates there are more than 74,000 uninsured people in Richland and Lexington counties. The Free Medical Clinic helps address this issue by serving patients with a household income at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level that have no Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance. In 2011, the clinic served more than 7,200 patients.

Fourteen local physicians have volunteered to perform in musical genre from bluegrass to jazz. Tickets are $40 in advance, $50 at the door.

Information or tickets: www.doctorslounge. eventbrite.com or (803) 727-7150

Compiled by Joey Holleman