Recently in Quitting Category

State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., announced today that New York is continuing to work with an innovative national effort to curb smoking by providing smokers with resources specifically designed to help those struggling with quitting.

New York State has renewed its membership to the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation (NATC), a public health coalition of national organizations and state health agencies that sponsors the EX^® campaign. The State Health Department's Tobacco Control Program hopes to reduce the number of adult smokers by linking New Yorkers with the EX campaign's online and informational resources, as well as the New York State Smokers' Quitline.

"New York continues to take significant steps to help reduce state smoking rates," Commissioner Daines said. "We are pleased to be one of a number of organizations in several states and at the national level in this timely effort to focus on reducing smoking rates in New York and across the country. The EX program augments our own efforts to give New Yorkers the tools they need to re-learn their life without cigarettes and will ultimately extend and save lives. New York is proud to have been a part of this groundbreaking initiative since it began in 2008."

With the latest research estimating that nearly 6 million people will lose their lives to tobacco next year, the NATC has created a campaign that will provide direct assistance to help the 46 million Americans who smoke--including 2.5 million New Yorkers--to finally quit.

EX assists smokers in changing the way they feel about the process of quitting, guiding them to valuable resources, such as the New York State Smokers Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) or online community at www.BecomeAnEX.org. Such tools help provide the accountability and support needed for a successful quit attempt.

This new public education effort will encourage the 16.8 percent of New York adults who smoke to approach quitting smoking as "re-learning life without cigarettes." EX provides smokers with information that can help them prepare for and guide a quit attempt by:

• "Re-learning" their thinking on the behavioral aspects of smoking and how different smoking triggers can be overcome with practice and preparation;
• "Re-learning" their knowledge of addiction and how medications can increase their chances for quitting success; and
• "Re-learning" their ideas of how support from friends and family members can play a critical role in quitting.

"We are thrilled to have New York join the national effort to help smokers quit," said Cheryl G. Healton, Dr.PH., president and CEO of Legacy. "Most smokers underestimate how powerful tobacco addiction can be. The approach provided by EX changes that equation by showing them how they can quit--namely by combining coaching, pharmacotherapy and social support, so that smokers have the support they need at the times when they're most likely to crave a cigarette and smoke."

Nationally, EX will continue to educate smokers through advertisements on television, radio and online and through events. Because social support is so important, EX offers a state-of-the-art Web site (www.BecomeAnEX.org) as a convening point for smokers who want to quit and share their successes and challenges in the difficult quit process. Since March 2008, when the national program debuted, 1.4 million people have visited the site, and more than 215,000 smokers have joined the online community, forming customized support groups.

"Ending tobacco use is one of our public health priorities, even during the State's fiscal crisis," Commissioner Daines said. "Our smoking rates are at the lowest ever - 16.8 percent for adults and 14.7 percent for teenagers. I support Governor Paterson's proposal to raise the cigarette tax by $1 this year, which will make New York's cigarette tax the highest in the nation. Raising the price of tobacco has consistently helped reduce the number of smokers."

To learn more, visit www.BecomeAnEX.org  and the State Health Department's Web site at www.nyhealth.gov/prevention/tobacco_control/

SOURCE Legacy

The Department of Health will provide free nicotine patches to help Pennsylvanians who are trying to quit tobacco starting Monday, Jan. 25. Kits will be offered -- while supplies last -- through the PA Free Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

The Nicotine Replacement Therapy, or NRT, kits were paid for by funding from a legal settlement with the tobacco industry. No taxpayer funds were used.

"While many people use the start of a new year to make a new attempt at quitting tobacco, we know that quitting isn't easy. It takes practice and support," said Secretary of Health Everette James. "We hope that by providing free Nicotine Replacement Therapy and one-on-one support offered through our Quitline, more individuals will stay motivated to become tobacco-free."

Cigarette smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, as well as a significant contributor to health care costs. Research by the federal Centers for Disease Control found nearly one of every five deaths nationwide is related to smoking - a staggering 440,000 preventable deaths each year.

The NRT kit promotion is in conjunction with Determined to Quit week, Jan. 24 - 30, as proclaimed by Governor Edward G. Rendell. The week is intended to raise awareness about the many resources available to help residents quit smoking.

Individuals interested in receiving a free NRT kit must call the PA Free Quitline. Quit coaches will ask whether callers have any medical conditions that would rule out the safe use of nicotine patches.  The kit includes a four-week supply of nicotine patches as well as other information to help make the quit attempt successful.  Those who qualify must be willing to enroll in the Quitline coaching program and set an actual quit date.

The PA Free Quitline is administered by Free and Clear, a national leader in the development, evaluation and delivery of evidence-based tobacco cessation programs. There is no cost for the phone support, which can range from three to five coaching sessions.

Additional information and support is offered through www.determinedtoquit.com.  The Web site provides guidance in developing a quit plan, a quit companion and calculator, and video blogs of Pennsylvanians sharing their own stories about quitting tobacco.  Those quitting can also engage family and friends.

Last year, as part of Determined To Quit Week, the Department of Health provided more than 2,200 free NRT kits to Quitline callers. This is the NRT program's second year.

For more information about the state's cessation resources, call the PA Free Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).

Media contact: Stacy Kriedeman, 717-787-1783. SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Health

The following is a statement from Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

Massachusetts today announced extraordinary results from its aggressive efforts to help Medicaid beneficiaries quit smoking by providing easy access to coverage for smoking cessation medication and counseling.

Massachusetts reported that smoking rates among beneficiaries in its MassHealth program plunged by 26 percent in the first two and a half years after the state began providing coverage of smoking cessation in July 2006. Costly medical procedures among those who utilized the cessation benefit also fell dramatically. Among benefit users, there were 38 percent fewer hospitalizations for heart attacks and 17 percent fewer emergency-room visits for asthma symptoms in the first year after using the benefit. There were 17 percent fewer claims for maternal birth complications since the benefit was implemented, state health officials reported.

Massachusetts is leading the way in demonstrating that health insurance coverage for smoking cessation quickly improves health and saves lives, and no doubt reduces health care costs as well. These findings have major implications as Congress debates health care reform. They underscore why Congress should require health care coverage for smoking cessation, including for everyone in Medicaid. The House-passed health reform bill does so, and the Senate should as well. Health care reform should also provide robust funding for community-based prevention initiatives, including tobacco prevention and cessation campaigns that prevent kids from starting to smoke and encourage smokers to quit.

It is also critical that Massachusetts increase funding for its tobacco prevention and cessation programs. As Massachusetts reported today, its new cessation benefit was coupled with an aggressive promotion campaign run by the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program that included radio and transit advertising and extensive community outreach. Unfortunately, Massachusetts in the past two years has cut funding for its tobacco prevention and cessation program by 65 percent. Including a federal grant, funding this year is just $6.1 million, which is less than seven percent of the $90 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To continue reducing tobacco use, Massachusetts must increase funding for tobacco prevention and cessation.

Medicaid coverage of smoking cessation is critical as smoking is much more prevalent among lower-income Americans than in the population as a whole. The CDC reported last week that, in 2008, 31.5 percent of adults living below the federal poverty level smoked, compared to 20.6 percent of all adults. Medicaid costs attributable to smoking total $22 billion annually, and represent 11 percent of all Medicaid expenditures, according to the CDC. Yet, according to another recent CDC study, only six states in 2007 provided the recommended full coverage of all tobacco-dependence treatments (FDA-approved medications and counseling) to help smokers quit.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 Americans and costing $96 billion in health care bills each year. The new Massachusetts results demonstrate once again that we know how to dramatically reduce tobacco use and its devastating toll in health, lives and dollars. What's needed is a political commitment to implement proven solutions, including health care coverage for smoking cessation and aggressive, well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

The following is a statement by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids President Matthew L. Meyers:

The government's report today that adult smoking declines have stalled since 2004 is an urgent warning to elected officials that it is premature to declare victory over tobacco and much more must be done to continue reducing tobacco use, which remains the number one preventable cause of death in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the adult smoking rate in 2008 was 20.6 percent - essentially unchanged since 2004, when 20.9 percent smoked. In fact, the 2008 survey found a small but disturbing uptick in the percentage of smokers, from 19.8 percent in 2007. While the CDC said this increase was not statistically significant, it is the first increase in the adult smoking rate since 1994.

There is no question that we know how to significantly reduce tobacco use, as demonstrated by sharp reductions in adult smoking over the past several decades and a remarkable 45 percent reduction in high school smoking since 1997 (from a peak of 36.4 percent to 20 percent in 2007). But it is also clear from the recent stall in progress that elected officials at all levels must redouble efforts to implement scientifically proven strategies that prevent kids from smoking, help smokers quit and protect everyone from secondhand smoke. The challenge today is to resist complacency and finally fight tobacco use with the political will and the resources that match the scope of the problem.

Congress and President Obama have taken major strides this year by approving a 62-cent increase in the federal cigarette tax and enacting the new law granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products and marketing. The 2008 data released today does not reflect the impact of the federal cigarette tax increase, which took effect on April 1 of this year. There is evidence that the cigarette tax increase has already had a significant impact. Cigarette manufacturers reported a 10 percent decline in cigarette sales in the third quarter of this year, and calls by smokers to smoking cessation quitlines increased dramatically following the tax increase.

However, there is much more that must be done at all levels of government:

• The pending health care reform legislation presents Congress with an immediate opportunity for action. It is vital that health care reform include robust funding for community-based prevention initiatives, including tobacco prevention and cessation, that prevent costly diseases. Congress should also require that private and public insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover tobacco cessation services for all beneficiaries. Today's report revealed that almost half of current smokers tried to quit in the past year but were unable to do so successfully. Providing evidence-based interventions will help them succeed. The House-passed health care reform bill achieves these goals, and the Senate bill should as well. With these actions, health care reform can be the first step toward putting in place a national campaign to prevent children from starting to smoke and help smokers quit.
• States must invigorate their efforts to implement three proven strategies to reduce tobacco use: higher tobacco taxes, smoke-free workplace laws and well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs. Most states have woefully underfunded their tobacco prevention programs, and in the past year, many have cut them substantially due to fiscal crises. Rather than take these backward steps, states should hike tobacco taxes to help fill budget gaps and use some of the revenue to fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
  

Why have smoking declines stalled in recent years? The CDC and other experts have cited several factors, including deep discounts used by tobacco companies to offset tax increases, significant increases in overall tobacco marketing since the 1998 state tobacco settlement and cuts to state tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

It's really very simple. When we increase tobacco prices and fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs, smoking rates go down. When prices stay flat and programs are cut, rates go up. Between 1997 and 2004, the average real (inflation-adjusted) retail price of a pack of cigarettes increased by 63 percent, while adult smoking declined by 15.3 percent. Between 2004 and 2008, the real price of cigarettes increased by just 2 percent, while adult smoking declined by just 1.4 percent (source of price data: The Tax Burden on Tobacco, 2008). Likewise, studies have shown a dose-response relationship between spending on tobacco prevention and cessation programs and both youth and adult smoking declines.

Tobacco use causes more than 400,000 preventable deaths each year and costs the nation nearly $200 billion in health expenditures and lost productivity. The cost of tobacco use in health, lives and dollars is too steep to allow backsliding. We know what works to reduce tobacco use among both youths and adults. What's needed is the political will to implement these solutions as aggressively as the tobacco industry promotes its deadly products.

The CDC report, published in the November 13, 2009, issue of the CDC Journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, can be found at www.cdc.gov/mmwr.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

The impact of smoking on your health is well documented. But counselors at Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Greater Atlanta know that it can also wreak havoc on a person's financial health. Whether it's helping people struggling with credit card debt or trying to avoid foreclosure, counselors find that tobacco use adds a significant amount to monthly household expenditures and they advise consumers to consider reducing or quitting smoking to save money.

A pack-a-day smoker spending an average of $5.15 per pack could save $1,879 per year by quitting smoking. These funds could be used to cover living expenses, reduce household debt or start a savings plan. Invested in a basic savings plan paying just 3 percent interest, you would have in excess of $21,000 after 10 years. Over 30 years, that figure climbs to more than $91,000.

"Quitting smoking is good for more than just your physical health," said Michelle Jones, Senior Vice President of Counseling for CCCS of Greater Atlanta. "Reducing or eliminating tobacco use can significantly increase the amount of money consumers have to use to pay off outstanding debt."

Even homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments and seeking a loan modification may be able to benefit by reducing or quitting smoking.

"Any reduction in spending will show the mortgage company that there is more income to put toward a homeowner's monthly budget," said Jones. "The better their budget looks, the more likely the lender is to offer a favorable workout, such as a loan modification."

This year's Great American Smokeout is November 19, but any day is a good day to give up smoking. "Our clients get a great deal of satisfaction when they quit smoking," added Jones. "It's a great first step in improving their physical and fiscal health."

The financial benefits of quitting extend beyond just the cost of cigarettes.

Increased Employment Opportunities and Productivity - Some employers have begun hiring only non-smoking employees or instituting "no smoking" policies in an effort to reduce overall health care costs and increase productivity.

Reduced Health Care and Insurance Costs - Non-smokers often enjoy lower health and life insurance premiums and general healthcare costs than smokers. In Georgia, state employees who smoke pay $40 more per month for health insurance than non-smokers. Many states have enacted similar policies for smokers, including higher deductibles and increased co-pay rates. Average life insurance premiums for smokers can be double that of non-smokers. Non-smokers may also be eligible for discounts on homeowners' insurance premiums.

Decreasing Values on Assets - According to Carmax, a used vehicle owned by a smoker will narrow the market of potential buyers and can result in lower trade-in or resale values than comparable vehicles owned by non-smokers. Similarly, general maintenance costs on a home are higher for smokers and a home that has been smoked in can be harder to sell.

For more information and tips to quit smoking, visit the American Lung Association at www.lungusa.org.

SOURCE Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta

With the latest research estimating that nearly six million people worldwide will lose their lives to tobacco next year(1), an innovative approach is critical to helping the 43 million Americans who smoke to finally quit. This month, which is observed as Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the national quit smoking program, EX(R) will debut the second phase of advertising and promotions designed to help smokers "re-learn" life without cigarettes.

The campaign will begin airing this month on radio and cable television networks as well as online, in print and through ambient/out-of-home channels. EX is a national quit smoking campaign, sponsored by the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation (NATC), a two-year old collaborative of state and national public health groups spearheaded by Legacy(SM), creators of the award-winning truth(R) youth smoking prevention campaign.

EX is more than an advertising campaign, it provides evidence-based tools to help smokers quit, including information that can help them prepare for a quit attempt by 1) "Re-learning" their thinking on the behavioral aspects of smoking and how different smoking triggers can be overcome with practice and preparation; 2) "Re-learning" their knowledge of addiction and how medications can increase their chances for quitting success; and 3) "Re-learning" their ideas of how support from friends and family members can play a critical role in quitting.

Because social support is so important, EX has used a state-of-the-art Web site (www.BecomeAnEX.org) as a convening point for smokers who want to quit and collaborate on their successes and challenges in the difficult quit process. Since March 2008, when the program first debuted, over a million people have visited the site and more than 14,000 smokers have joined the online community, forming nearly 300 customized support groups. EX tools were designed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic and with input from former and current smokers who have lived with this struggle, in order to provide smokers with a realistic approach based on evidence-based research.

Most smokers in America - 70 percent - want to quit, but in 2000, only about five percent of smokers were successful in quitting long-term. Quitting smoking is ultimately one of the single most important lifestyle changes one can make to improve and extend their lives. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States; smokers therefore need to be armed with all the available information to make the best, most informed choices about the smoking cessation medications and resources available to them.

The new EX ads have a heavy rotation with sports fans, who, according to one recent study, also have high smoking rates. Another new tack in this year's promotional strategy includes the creation of two spots that will be used only as unpaid public service announcements and will be placed as part of a partnership between Legacy and The Advertising Council.

"This year, there have been several historic changes in public policy related tobacco prevention and cessation, from the passage of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act increasing the Federal excise tax on tobacco to the Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act securing authority for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco. The movement to reduce the number of smokers in America is evolving," said Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, President and CEO of Legacy. "What is yet to change are the financial resources available to help smokers quit, so we have had to become even more creative with our public education strategy and are confident that our PSA partnership with The Advertising Council will effectively supplement our past traditional paid media efforts in this campaign."

For the 2009 edition of the campaign, a major focus of the placements will be through partnerships with Major League Baseball on Fox, "Bassmasters" on ESPN2 and on radio through ABC and Sporting News Radio. The campaign will run from mid-Fall (November 1) through January, hopefully encouraging smokers to prepare to quit as their New Year's Resolution.

Descriptions of television spots:

Many smokers light up when they drive. At the beginning of "Spin," a man leaves his store for a smoke break. Cigarette in hand, he tries the doors of a few cars, before jumping into an idling delivery van and driving off. The voice over relates: "You don't drive every time you smoke; yet, you smoke every time you drive" and exhorts the viewer to "relearn life without cigarettes" at BecomeAnEx.org.

"Receptionist" is a look at the habit many people have of smoking while drinking alcohol. Cigarettes at the ready, a woman at her desk in an office setting crushes ice, chops strawberries and then blends the mixture while her coworkers all try to work. As she heads outside with her margarita, the voice over explains "You don't drink every time you smoke; yet, you smoke every time you drink" and offers that the viewer can "relearn life without cigarettes" at BecomeAnEx.org.

Creative for EX was produced by Austin, Texas-based GSD&M Idea City, the agency of record for Legacy's advertising on smoking cessation. New York City-based PHD conceptualized and implemented the media planning and buying strategy for the EX campaign.

In 2006-07, Legacy, the national public health foundation best known for its truth(R) youth-smoking prevention campaign pilot tested EX in four markets throughout the country: Buffalo, N.Y.; San Antonio, Texas; Grand Rapids, Mich.; and Baltimore, Md. A new study released in the September 2009 issue of Social Marketing Quarterly found that EX was a trusted and empathetic brand and that smokers who were thinking more about quitting or were more motivated to quit were significantly more receptive to the EX brand than those who had not yet reached that point in their quit process. As a result of the successful pilot program, in 2007, Legacy brought together several national organizations and several states to form the NATC and launch EX nationally. The NATC is a group of states, non-profit organizations, foundations and corporations, all dedicated to helping people quit smoking.

Founding members of the NATC include:

• The American Cancer Society
• The American Heart Association
• National Cancer Institute
• C-Change
• Legacy
• The Mayo Clinic
• The Rapides Foundation
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• The Association of State and Health Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
• Arkansas Department of Health
• Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Tobacco Education and Prevention
• Connecticut Department of Public Health
• D.C. Tobacco Free Families, a partnership of D.C. Department of Health, American Lung Association of D.C., and the American Cancer Society
• Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation
• Kentucky Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program
• The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living
• Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Bureau of Primary Care and Rural Health Tobacco Control Program
• Missouri Foundation for Health
• New York Department of Health
• North Carolina Division of Public Health
• North Dakota Department of Health, Division of Tobacco Prevention & Control
• Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, Center for Health Promotions
• Oregon Public Health Division, Department of Human Services, Tobacco Prevention and Education Program
• Rhode Island Department of Health
• Vermont Department of Health
• Washington State Department of Health, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
• Wyoming Department of Health
  

All of these organizations agree that while smokers may know why they should quit, many just don't know how. Therefore, EX steers away from focusing solely on the reasons for quitting and instead empowers smokers to use FREE resources and methods that have been proven to increase smokers' chances of quitting successfully.

EX(R) is a collaborative public health campaign presented by the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation, a partnership of the nation's leading public health organizations and states. The campaign helps smokers prepare to quit and guides them to useful resources that foster successful quit attempts including the EX plan, a free personalized quit plan available on the campaign's Web site www.BecomeAnEX.org. EX is the culmination of several years of research and testing, combining an understanding of the power of nicotine addiction with messages that resonate with and motivate smokers toward behavior change. The EX approach is peer to peer and focuses on "re-learning life without cigarettes" by encouraging smokers to think differently about the process of quitting. The campaign, which began airing nationwide in March 2008, includes television, radio, online AND out-of-home advertising. The EX Web site helps smokers create their own individual plan to quit and connects them to a virtual community of other smokers where they can share stories and strategies about quitting. Founding members of the NATC include numerous states and the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the National Cancer Institute, the American Legacy Foundation, C-Change, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and clinical partner, the Mayo Clinic.

(1) Tobacco Atlas, American Cancer Society and World Lung Association, August 2009.

SOURCE American Legacy Foundation

For the first time, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have demonstrated that it is possible to successfully recruit and retain a large number of adolescent smokers from the general population into a smoking intervention study and, through personalized, proactive telephone counseling, significantly impact rates of six-month continuous quitting. These findings, by Arthur V. Peterson Jr., Ph.D., Kathleen A. Kealey and colleagues, are reported in a pair of papers in the Oct. 12 "Advance Access" online edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

"When this study started, despite decades of research and dozens of intervention trials, there was no proven way to reach teens from the general population and recruit them into smoking cessation programs, and there was no proven way to help these teens quit," said Peterson, a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division and lead author of the paper that reported the results of the Hutchinson Study of High School Smoking, the largest randomized trial of teen smoking cessation ever conducted.

The trial, funded by the National Institutes of Health, involved 2,151 teenage smokers from 50 high schools in Washington. Half of the schools were randomly assigned to the experimental intervention; teens in these schools were invited to take part in confidential, personalized telephone counseling designed to help motivate them to quit. The remaining 25 schools served as a comparison group; teen smokers from these schools did not participate in the telephone intervention. The study also included 745 nonsmokers to ensure that contacting students for participation in the trial would not reveal a participant's smoking status.

Study recruitment was robust; in the experimental group 65.3 percent of the smokers were eligible and participated in the telephone intervention. Recruitment took place in their junior year and the counseling intervention took place during their senior year. "The literature says it is very difficult to recruit kids to teen smoking programs. People have tried. The field has encountered great obstacles in recruiting teens to smoking cessation programs. And so we took that as a challenge," Peterson said.

The study found that a proactive strategy of reaching out to teens and offering them the opportunity to receive up to nine personalized, confidential telephone counseling sessions effectively helped many of them to kick the habit. In addition, by proactively identifying and recruiting teen smokers (with parental consent for those under age 18), two-thirds of all identified smokers participated in the telephone counseling and nearly half completed all of their scheduled counseling calls.

At the completion of the study, 21.8 percent of all smokers (daily and less than daily) in the counseling group had achieved continuous quitting for six months, as compared to 17.7 percent of those in the comparison group, a difference of 4 percent.

The intervention also impacted three-month, one-month and seven-day smoking abstinence, with differences between the counseling group and the comparison group of 3.3 percent, 6.8 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively. Notably, the one-month and seven-day quit rates among the smokers who received telephone counseling were roughly three times higher than those reported in nearly 50 previous adolescent smoking-cessation trials of a variety of interventions conducted over the past two decades.

"These results are critically important for supporting and stimulating our nation's search to find successful ways to help reduce smoking by teens and young adults," Peterson said.

An estimated 26.5 percent of high school seniors smoke monthly, and 13.6 percent smoke 10 or more cigarettes daily. Although nearly half of all current adolescent smokers report having tried to quit smoking in the past year, only about 4 percent per year succeed on their own. In addition, young adults ages 18 to 24 have the highest smoking rates in the U.S., ranging between 27 percent and 40 percent, depending on geographic region and socioeconomic status.

The telephone counseling intervention was based on the premise that smokers need to believe it is important to quit, have confidence they can quit and have the knowledge and skills needed to be successful with quitting. Therefore, the intervention integrated two types of counseling: motivational interviewing, which emphasizes building motivation and confidence for quitting, and cognitive behavioral skills training, which gives smokers the tools they need to learn how to quit.

Motivational interviewing, first described in the early '80s by William R. Miller, Ph.D., as a way to help treat problem drinkers, enhances a person's motivation to change by exploring and resolving one's ambivalence about change. In this study, the technique was used to explore and resolve the participants' ambivalence about smoking and quitting, and to mobilize their inner resources to trigger a decision to quit.

"Motivational interviewing is very caring, nonjudgmental and respectful. It is non-confrontational. A counselor would never say, 'I want you to quit smoking.' Instead the counselor would ask what the behavior means to the participant. What do they like about it? What don't they like about it?" explained Kealey, first author of the companion paper, which describes in detail the design and implementation of the telephone counseling intervention.

In motivational interviewing, the counselor would use reflective statements to repeat the participant's own words back to him or her. For example: "So, it sounds to me like you smoke because it helps you to relax when you're under stress. But on the other hand, you said that you really don't like the way it smells, and that it's really expensive. So what do you make of that?"

"In the end, it is the smoker's own reasons and desire to quit that motivate the quit attempt," said Kealey, project manager for the study.

Cognitive behavioral skills training seeks to help people build skills for quitting and preventing relapse through counseling strategies that emphasize practical tools, such as self-talk strategies, ways to cope with stress and smoking triggers, and collaborating on a plan for quitting. "While motivational interviewing increases a person's motivation to quit, cognitive behavioral skills training gives them the resources and the confidence they need to be successful," Kealey said.

Adolescent smoking cessation studies conducted in the past 20 years have been largely unsuccessful in getting teens to quit. These studies have identified significant challenges. To date, only two other randomized controlled trials - with smaller numbers of teen smokers than the Hutchinson Study and conducted in medical settings - have shown promise in achieving significant teen quit rates.

So what makes the Hutchinson Study so effective? The researchers hypothesize that the reason is threefold:

The intervention was proactive, reaching out and engaging teens - "Past research has shown that, for a multitude of reasons, many teen smokers do not seek out help with quitting. However, our study demonstrates that if we reach out to teens, without pressuring them to quit, many will talk to counselors about their smoking and some of those teens will decide to quit," Peterson said.

The counseling was offered by telephone - "This allowed for private, confidential, one-to-one counseling and allowed the counselors to explore and focus on issues specific to the individual smoker," he said. Telephone counseling also gave teens control over the timing and length of the counseling sessions.

The counselors used motivational interviewing techniques in all communications with the teens - "It seemed quite appropriate for us to test this deferential strategy in youth because teens, in particular, don't want to be told what to do," Peterson said. "Our goal was to put them in the driver's seat."

So even though teens tend not to seek help for quitting smoking, this study indicates that they are more likely to succeed with quitting if they have help. "An important message from this study for teens and young adult smokers - really for all smokers - is that personalized telephone counseling can help one be successful with quitting smoking," Peterson said. Such help is available through the nation's network of quit lines, such as 1-800-QUIT-NOW offered through the Washington State Department of Health.

The National Cancer Institute funded the study, which also involved investigators at Group Health Research Institute in Seattle.

At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

District public health and faith leaders today called on the DC Council to immediately renew funding for the DC Tobacco Free Families (DCTFF) Campaign, the District's highly successful tobacco prevention and cessation program.

Health advocates are urging the Council to maintain funding for DCTFF at its current level of $3.6 million annually so it can continue its effective work to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. Unless the Council quickly renews funding, DCTFF will be forced to eliminate most of its activities by the end of the month - just as a 50-cent increase in DC's cigarette tax, which takes effect October 1, will encourage more smokers to seek help in quitting.

Underscoring the urgent need to renew funding, public health leaders released a new report by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids that details both the dramatic effectiveness of DCTFF's programs and the severe health and financial harm DC will suffer if the program's funding is not renewed. If funding is not renewed, the report concludes that DC can expect the following increases in youth smoking and related costs:

• Youth smoking will increase by 9.6 percent, resulting in 2,400 more current high school smokers.
• 760 more kids alive today will eventually die prematurely from smoking-caused deaths.
• Health care costs due to smoking will increase by $42 million, including $4.8 million under the Medicaid program.
• At least a dozen DC organizations will no longer have funding to conduct prevention and outreach activities to help smokers quit and prevent youth from starting to smoke. These organizations provide direct services to the most at-risk groups in the District, including youth and the underserved African-American, Latino and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) populations.
  

"City elected officials must find the resources necessary to continue funding for these tobacco use control programs that have lowered tobacco use in the nation's Capital," said Bonita Pennino, Government Relations Director of the Maryland American Cancer Society. "The withdrawal of city support will result in a rise in tobacco use among our youth and a slowing down of the number of adults who are seeking help to quit smoking."

"Our report makes it clear that DC will pay a high price if the Council fails to renew funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs - more kids will become addicted to tobacco, more lives will be lost and taxpayers will pay more to treat tobacco-caused disease," said Peter Fisher, Vice President of State Issues for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

In January 2007, the DC Council allocated $10 million in funding over three years for DCTFF to implement programs to help tobacco users quit and to prevent youth from starting to smoke, especially among Medicaid recipients and underserved residents.

Along with DC's comprehensive smoke-free law, which took effect in January 2007, and a doubling of DC's cigarette tax to $2 per pack in October 2008, DCTFF's programs have contributed to a significant decline in smoking in the District. Between 2005 and 2008, adult smoking rates declined by 19 percent, from 20.1 percent to 16.2 percent. These declines translate into the following health and financial gains:

• 18,500 fewer adult smokers in the District;
• 4,900 fewer premature deaths from smoking;
• More than $175 million in future health care savings, including $19.9 billion in Medicaid savings.
  

Despite this progress, tobacco use is still the leading preventable cause of death in DC, annually claiming more than 700 lives and costing the District $243 million in health care bills. Sixteen percent of adults and one in ten youth still smoke. While youth smoking has declined since 2003, the most recent data show a slight increase in youth smoking, from 9.2 percent to 10.6 percent.

There are also alarming disparities in tobacco use in the District. In Ward 8, for example, while progress has been made in reducing tobacco use from 32 percent to 26 percent in the last three years, it still has a smoking rate ten percentage points above the overall rate for DC.

Other key findings of the report include:

• DC has plenty of tobacco-generated revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes to fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The requested funding of $3.6 million amounts to less than five percent of the $74.9 million in tobacco revenue DC will collect this year. (Ideally, DC should spend even more on tobacco prevention and cessation programs as the CDC recommends the District spend $10.5 million a year on such programs).
• Tobacco companies spend $16 million a year to market their deadly and addictive products. $3.6 million amounts to less than a quarter of this amount.
  

About DC Tobacco Free Families (DCTFF):

DCTFF is a partnership of the American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Lung Association of DC (ALADC), and the DC Department of Health (DOH), with funding from the District's tobacco settlement funds. DCTFF provides community-based grants, quitline services, free nicotine replacement therapy, youth prevention programs, and a mass media campaign, all designed to encourage District smokers to quit and youth to never start. For more information please log onto www.dctff.info.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

With the recent increase in the tobacco tax, many Floridians are faced with a tough decision in these already hard economic times - do they pay the extra dollar per pack or quit smoking for good. For those who want to quit, The Florida Quitline (1-877-U-CAN-NOW) is here to help by offering free nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) and counseling.

According to Kim Berfield, Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Health, when comparing the Florida Quitline call volume to other states, we are above the average. "Quitting is a daily struggle. The Quitline provides tobacco users with the tools they need for courage and self-empowerment," Berfield said.

Provided by the American Cancer Society and the Florida Department of Health, the Quitline is a toll-free, telephone-based tobacco cessation service. The Quitline provides the support and resources needed to kick the addiction such as free patches, gum and lozenges and free confidential telephone counseling which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Face-to-face counseling is also available through local AHEC (Area Health Education Centers). Many counties offer eight-week sessions for those who prefer group interaction. Counseling sessions taught by trained healthcare professionals double the chance of success, according to The Clinical Practice Guidelines for Tobacco Use and Dependence.

Quitting smoking is very difficult and it typically takes the average smoker approximately eight quit attempts to stop smoking for good. NRT, coupled with counseling, doubles the chances that a smoker will quit. From setting a quit date, determining trigger situations, and helping during a relapse, specially trained Quitline counselors help tobacco users develop a plan to finally rid themselves of tobacco and nicotine dependency.

For more information on the Quitline, please visit www.floridaquitline.com or by calling 1-877-U-CAN-NOW

ABOUT TOBACCO FREE FLORIDA

Tobacco Free Florida, the statewide youth prevention and adult cessation campaign launched in February 2008, has reached millions of Floridians through its advertising, online social media, grassroots initiatives, educational outreach and public relations efforts. Funded by the State's tobacco settlement fund, the campaign engages culturally and economically diverse audiences with its high impact messaging.

For more information on Tobacco Free Florida, please visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com.

Source: Tobacco Free Florida

Today, the Florida state tobacco tax will increase by $1.00, the biggest of its kind in Florida history, to a total of $1.34 per pack, as part of the Protecting Florida's Health Act. The pressures of a higher price tag on cigarettes may prompt Florida smokers to try and quit spontaneously.

New data published in the journal, Nicotine and Tobacco Research, shows that many U.S. quit attempts are unplanned and these types of attempts can be a successful route to cessation. In the study, almost 40 percent of subjects reported that their most recent quit attempt started without any advance planning, suggesting that for some smokers, setting an advance quit date may not be as necessary as once thought.

"The study examines the possibility that while quit attempts may seem like spontaneous efforts on the surface, they may actually be the result of prolonged subconscious dissatisfaction with or concern about one's smoking. The results do not discredit planning out a quit attempt, however, a smoker needs to determine what may be the best approach to ensure long-term cessation," said Dr. Saul Shiffman, professor in the departments of psychology and pharmaceutical science at the University of Pittsburgh and study co-author. "All smokers should consider ways to manage tough situations such as cravings and withdrawal symptoms to ensure long-term success."

Smokers who make an unplanned quit attempt can improve their chances significantly by getting help and support from proven stop smoking tools such as therapeutic nicotine products like Nicorette(R), NicoDerm(R) CQ(R) and Commit(R). Consistent with their FDA-approved labeling, therapeutic nicotine products help reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms, including nicotine craving, associated with quitting smoking. Smokers who quit spontaneously can also access therapeutic nicotine medicines which are available over the counter without a doctor's prescription at more than 35,000 retail outlets.

To encourage smokers to pick the approach best for them, whether they're spontaneous quitters or planners, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare and the American Cancer Society, Florida Division, are teaming up to offer starter packs of Nicorette through the Florida QuitLine at 877-U-CAN-NOW (877-822-6669). The QuitLine is a smoking cessation service offered by the State of Florida for its citizens, and the GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare-provided starter packs will augment a significant allocation of nicotine replacement therapy products funded by the Florida Legislature.

"With tobacco being the leading preventable cause of death and disease in Florida, this significant increase in the price of cigarettes gives the state an excellent opportunity to reduce smoking rates and improve public health," said Marty Larsen, chairman of the board and president of the American Cancer Society, Florida Division. "We are dedicated to helping Florida smokers manage the challenges of quitting smoking. By providing safe and effective cessation aids, like therapeutic nicotine, all smokers looking to quit - spontaneous and planners - have the opportunity to re-evaluate continued smoking and finally quit for good."

About the Study

A study of 1,700 adults (900 adults age 18 and over who currently smoke cigarettes every day and 800 adults, age 18 and over, who previously smoked every day but quit between one month and ten years ago) were recruited from an online U.S. market research database (Survey Sampling International, Shelton, CT) and completed an online survey. A random sample of people in the database panels were sent an e-mail that contained a link to an online survey.

About Florida's QuitLine

Florida's QuitLine is a toll-free, telephone-based tobacco cessation service available at 877-U-CAN-NOW. Anyone living in Florida who wants to quit smoking can use the QuitLine, which offers counselling sessions, self-help materials and pharmacotherapy assistance. The State of Florida contracts with the American Cancer Society to provide the service.

SOURCE GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare