January 18, 2007 issue
Quitline Can Help NC Residents Keep New Year’s Resolution
Smokers Who Use Quitline NC To Quit Are Satisfied, More Successful
Every New Year’s Eve, millions of Americans resolve to quit smoking but pick up their cigarettes again in a matter of weeks or even days. This year can be different for North Carolinians who call the North Carolina Tobacco Use Quitline.
More than 93 percent of the tobacco users who have called the QuitLine since it started in late 2005 were satisfied with the service they received, according to survey data. Would-be quitters who call 1-800-QUIT-NOW are also more likely to quit successfully than those who try and quit on their own.
Tobacco use is the #1 cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 440,000 Americans each year. It is also the top cause of preventable death in North Carolina and a leading cause for deadly cancers and debilitating illnesses including lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, asthma, blindness, leukemia and cancers of the throat, bladder, larynx, kidney, pancreas, cervix and many more.
Danny Staley, Director of the Appalachian District Health Department, stated, “Quitting tobacco is the single most important thing an individual can do to prolong his or her life. And while studies show that most tobacco users want to quit, many are unable to overcome their addiction.”
Telephone quitlines help tobacco users quit the addiction by offering advice, support and referrals to local cessation resources. Scientific evidence shows that quitlines are effective tools to help tobacco users quit. The North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF) and the NC Division of Public Health (DPH) sponsor NC’s first state-funded Quitline service that is available to all state residents for free at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).
Quitline NC is available daily, 8:00 a.m. until midnight. Trained quit coaches help tailor a cessation plan for each tobacco user who wants assistance—including those who use spit tobacco. Coaching is available in English, Spanish and a variety of other languages.
"The holidays can be a stressful time, so without the right support, it can be easy to fall back into old habits like smoking,” said Teri VanDyke, coordinator of the Northwest Tobacco Prevention Coalition. “Quitline NC provides trained tobacco cessation specialists who can help you through this difficult process of quitting. And starting the New Year tobacco-free is the best holiday gift you can give yourself.”
For more information, click to www.QuitlineNC.com or call VanDyke at 828-264-4995.
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