Will 2013 Be the Year You Quit Tobacco for Good?
Contact: Jessica Hammonds
DOH Office of Communications
(850) 245-4111
Will 2013 Be the Year You Quit Tobacco for Good?
- Services Offered by the Florida Department of Health’s Tobacco Free Florida Double Your Chances of Quitting -
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Department of Health’s (DOH) Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida is encouraging tobacco users to create a comprehensive quit plan with the help of the Florida Quitline, Web Coach or Area Health Education Centers’ in-person services. A quit plan is the first step for a successful quit attempt. For those who use tobacco, the most important step you can take for a healthier and longer life is to quit. Tobacco users who quit can double their chances at success by using the state’s free and convenient quit services.
“If you are resolving to quit tobacco for the New Year, there are resources available to help you,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong. “Counseling and medication are very effective and greatly increase your chances of quitting and staying tobacco free for good.”
Tobacco Free Florida’s evidence-based resources include consultation from a certified and trained Quit Coach as well as FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), when appropriate. This combined approach of counseling and NRT can double or triple a tobacco user’s chance of quitting.
Seven out of 10 adult smokers report that they want to quit completely. Those who have tried to quit but relapsed in the past should try again because most former smokers made several attempts before quitting permanently. Quitting tobacco is hard, but it is not impossible. In fact, there are more former smokers than current smokers in the state. However, not having a plan can make quitting more difficult.
Tobacco Free Florida offers three ways to quit:
CALL: Call the Florida Quitline at 1-877-U-CAN-NOW to speak with a Quit Coach who will help you assess your addiction and help you create a personalized quit plan.
CLICK: Enroll in the Web Coach®, which will help you create your own web-based quit plan that’s right for you, visit https://www.quitnow.net/florida.
COME IN: Visit the Florida Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network’s website, http://ahectobacco.com, to locate your local AHEC and sign up for Quit Smoking Now group classes.
ABOUT TOBACCO FREE FLORIDA
DOH’s Tobacco Free Florida campaign is a statewide cessation and prevention campaign funded by Florida’s tobacco settlement fund.
Tobacco users interested in quitting are encouraged to use one of the state’s three ways to quit. To learn about Tobacco Free Florida and the state’s free quit resources, visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com or follow the campaign on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TobaccoFreeFlorida or Twitter at www.twitter.com/tobaccofreefla.
DOH works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.
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