Make this Year’s Great American Smokeout be the Day YOU Quit Tobacco

Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) strongly encourages all tobacco users to quit the use of tobacco or, if not ready to quit, to prepare for quitting by reducing use. Whether you smoke cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes or use other tobacco products, the Great American Smokeout on November 20, 2014, is the perfect time to make a plan to quit tobacco use altogether, or to even quit for just a day.

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States and Colorado. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke causes 480,000 (or 1 in 5) deaths every year in the United States, and for every person who dies from a smoking-related disease, about 30 more people suffer with at least one serious illness from smoking.

In honor of the Great American Smokeout, JCPH is promoting its “Day I Quit” campaign which aims to motivate tobacco users to quit so that they can “have more, do more, and be more”.  The campaign will be running between the months of November through January and will feature transit, movie theater and online advertisements.

If you wish to take the tobacco-free challenge, there are steps to take now to help you prepare and significantly increase your chances of successfully eliminating tobacco from your life.

Resources 

• Colorado offers numerous resources to help you quit smoking or quit using other tobacco products.  Visit www.tobaccofreeco.org to learn more or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). 

• COQuitMobile is a free text-based program that places you on the path to a life free from tobacco. 

• View this American Lung Association fact sheet about what resources are covered under the guidelines of the Affordable Care Act.  

• Attend a free tobacco cessation group hosted by Lutheran Medican Center in Wheat Ridge on Tuesdays at 12pm.  This is a six week drop-in group that provides adults who want to quit smoking with tools and support to achieve their goals.  (You do not need to attend all six weeks in order to participate.) 

• You can also visit the Thinking of Quitting page on the Tobacco-Free Jeffco website for a list of other free or low cost resources to help you quit.

 Jefferson County Public Health’s Tobacco Prevention Initiative is working with students, parents and community members to educate about the harms of tobacco in our communities and to promote tobacco-free living. For more information or to get involved, please visit: www.tobaccofreejeffco.com, email us at tobaccofree@jeffco.us or call Donna Viverette at 303-275-7555.

Get Support for Quitting During the Great American Smokeout

Jefferson County Public Health encourages all tobacco users, whether you smoke or use other tobacco products, to Quit for A Day or Quit for Life during the Great American Smokeout, November 21, 2013.

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke causes 443,000—or 1 in 5 deaths each year in the United States.

If you want to take the tobacco-free challenge, there are steps to take now that will help you prepare and significantly increase your chances for success.

Resources

• Colorado offers numerous resources to help you quit smoking or quit using other tobacco products. Visit www.tobaccofreeco.org to learn more or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).
  
• COQuitMobile is a free text-based program that places you on the path to a life free from tobacco.
  
• You may also visit the Ready to Quit page on the Tobacco-Free Jeffco website for a list of additional resources to help you quit.
  
• Tips From Former Smokers is a powerful CDC national campaign that encourages people to quit smoking by highlighting the toll that smoking-related illnesses take on smokers and their loved ones.
  
• View this American Lung Association fact sheet about what resources are covered under the new guidelines of the Affordable Care Act. 

Jefferson County Public Health’s Tobacco Prevention Initiative is working with students, parents and community members to educate about the harms of tobacco in our communities and to promote tobacco-free living. For more information or to get involved, please visit: www.tobaccofreejeffco.com, email us at tobaccofree@jeffco.us or call Donna Viverette at 303-275-7555.

The Journey of Quitting . . . New Video Shares Personal Success Stories

Ever wonder why you or your loved one is having such a hard time quitting smoking, and staying quit? A group of ex-smokers wants you to know that while quitting may be hard, it is possible and absolutely worth it. These former tobacco users share their stories in a new video, “The Journey of Quitting.” Produced in partnership with the Red Rocks Community College Tobacco Cessation Project and Jefferson County Public Health the video tells the stories of nine former smokers and their personal journeys to becoming free from tobacco.

If you are struggling with tobacco or have a loved one that is, give yourself the gift of 20 minutes to view this video and learn tips and lessons from those who have been successful. View this video at: http://tobaccofreejeffco.com/how-to-quit.html .

World No Tobacco Day

Ban Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship 

May 31, 2013, marks World No Tobacco Day - an annual day of observance that highlights health risks caused by tobacco use and encourages advocacy for policies that will reduce tobacco use. This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) is focusing on the importance of banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Jefferson County Public Health joins WHO in taking a global stand against tobacco and asks that your business or organization make a commitment to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

Jefferson County Public Health is committed to making our community a healthier place to live, work and play. Tobacco use remains the most preventable cause of death, and by banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship we can work together in reducing the harms of tobacco in our communities. To get more information on World No Tobacco Day, please visit the WHO website. For resources on quitting tobacco, visit the JCPH website.