Tobacco Cessation
Sick of Smoking?
Sick of Chewing?
Free Tobacco Cessation Program November/December 2009
How many times have you tried to quit chewing or smoking? Maybe once, maybe a thousand times. You start out really wanting to quit and feel that the time is right. However, for one reason or another, you start using tobacco again. You feel like a failure and that you will never be able to stop chewing or smoking. It is not surprising, considering tobacco is an addictive drug, which makes it hard to quit.
Perhaps you are ready to try and quit again, but you are afraid that you may fail once again. Who can blame you? As hard as it is to believe, it takes a person on average seven attempts to successfully quit. That means that a person may quit after the first time they try, while the next person may need fourteen times before they successfully quit.
Here are some facts for you to think about:
- Smoking is the #1 preventable cause of death in the U.S.
- Each year, approximately 440,000 people die from tobacco-related illnesses
- Currently, tobacco is costing the U.S. $157 billion in health-related illnesses
- 52% of the current smokers have tried to quit in the last year
- Current smokers in the U.S. are now outnumbered by former smokers
The Smoking Cessation program available through the Southeastern District Health Department provides support and information for people who are thinking about quitting smoking. Plus, it is FREE. This is made possible through the continued support the cessation program receives from the State of Idaho's Millennium Fund.
Those who are eligible for assistance include:
- Pregnant women and their spouses/other family members who smoke
- Youth
- Adults who smoke and are interested in quitting
The Program includes:
- Community Classes or Individual Appointments
- Information and tips on how to quit
- New coping skills
- Nutrition and physical activity tips to help avoid weight gain
- Stress management
- To register for free community classes, contact Traci Lambson, MHE at (208) 478-6316.
- To get cessation counseling through Portneuf Tobacco Cessation Clinic, contact Jennifer Robinson, PA-C at (208) 239-1750. These sessions are also free.
In order to receive tobacco cessation services, individuals are strongly encouraged to complete the entire program by attending all four individual appointments/classes.
In addition to local tobacco cessation support, you can also register through Idaho Quitnet (www.idaho.quitnet.com) or Idaho Quittime (1-800-QUIT-NOW) for a free four week supply of nicotine patches, gum, or lozeuges.
Research shows that combining tobacco cessation support (individual appointments/community classes) with nicotine replacement therapy or other tobacco cessation aids, increase your chances of successfully quitting tobacco.
