Thursday, January 12, 2012

How You & Friends Can Quit Smoking Now

Free Florida Resources And Classes Available 

Tobacco Free Florida is encouraging smokers in the state 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 FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapies (NRTS) provided by the program can double to triple your chances of successfully quitting.

Seven out of 10 adult smokers report that they want to quit completely. Last year, about half of them tried to quit. Yet, few (6.2 percent) were successful. 

If you weren’t able to quit in years past, do 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 succeeding.
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 more former smokers in Florida than current smokers.

“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.”

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S. Cigarette use results in an estimated 28,600 deaths in Florida each year. Despite the known dangers of smoking, more than 2.5 million Floridians, or 17.1 percent of the adult population, are current cigarette smokers.

Free Quit Smoking Resources
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: 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.

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