Archive Index  / Resolve to Quit Smoking in 2012 (posted: 1/4/12)

Source: Volusia County Health Department
Contact: Stefany Strong, Public Information Officer
 

Stick to your New Year’s Resolution with Help from
Volusia County Health Department and Tobacco Free Florida
 

DAYTONA BEACH- If resolutions were as easy to keep as they are to make, there would be fewer cigarette smokers in Volusia County.

Seven out of ten adult smokers report that they want to quit completely. Last year, about half of them made an attempt to quit. Yet, few (6.2 percent) were successful.

The Volusia County Health Department and Tobacco Free Florida are encouraging smokers to use the program’s free and convenient quit resources to start the year smoke-free and increase their chances of staying smoke-free for good. Evidence-based cessation counseling and Food and Drug Administration approved nicotine replacement therapies (NRTS) provided by the program can double to triple your chances of successfully quitting.

Nicotine is one of the most addictive chemicals. The current design and contents of cigarettes make them more attractive and addictive than ever before. Today, cigarettes deliver nicotine more quickly from the lungs to the heart and brain. Poor preparation and a quit plan that’s not entirely right for you can make quitting even harder. While quitting is difficult, it is not impossible. In fact, there are now more former smokers than current smokers in Florida.

“Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death nationwide,” said Dr. Bonnie J. Sorensen, director of the Volusia County Health Department.” Tobacco use results in an estimated 28,600 deaths in Florida each year which breaks down to 88 tobacco related deaths daily in the state of Florida. Now is the time to quit smoking.”

Smokers who want to quit should not be discouraged. Most former smokers made several attempts before finally quitting permanently. The average smoker attempts to quit between eight and 11 times before ultimately succeeding.

“Every year, many Floridians try to go it alone as they resolve to quit smoking,” said Dr. Frank Farmer, Florida’s State Surgeon General. “While quitting cold turkey may work for some, every day there is mounting evidence that counseling and medication have been proven effective and can greatly increase your chances of not just quitting, but staying tobacco free for good.”

Free Quit Resources

For Volusia County residents, who are interested in quitting and would like additional information they can initiate this process by contacting the Tobacco Prevention Program at the Volusia County Health Department (386-274-0603). The local program office will assist them with a schedule of local classes and offer to them a free “Quit Kit”. This toolkit offers discount coupons, tips and educational information to assist residents in this quit attempt.


Tobacco Free Florida offers a number of free and convenient resources to help Floridians quit using tobacco.

• Phone: 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.
• Online: 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.
• In-person: Sign up for Quit Smoking Now group classes at your local Area Health Education Center (AHEC) by calling 1-877-QUIT-IT-NOW or visiting http://www.northfloridaahec.org/QSNCalendar.html

New tobaccofreeflorida.com

Last week, Tobacco Free Florida re-launched its website, www.tobaccofreeflorida.com, to help Floridians quit tobacco. The new comprehensive website aims to provide tobacco users with the most updated and useful information on why to quit and how to quit.

In early 2012, Tobacco Free Florida will expand the website to include sections on helping others quit, tobacco-related issues in the state, information for teens, and much more.


ABOUT TOBACCO FREE FLORIDA
Tobacco Free Florida (TFF) is a statewide cessation and prevention campaign funded by Florida’s tobacco settlement fund. The program is managed by the Florida Department of Health, specifically the Bureau of Tobacco Prevention Program.

Smokers and smokeless tobacco users interested in quitting are encouraged to call the Florida Quitline at 1-877-U-CAN-NOW to speak with a quit coach. To learn about TFF and the state’s free quit smoking resources, visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com or follow the campaign on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TobaccoFreeFlorida or Twitter at twitter.com/tobaccofreefla.