11/21/2019
Departments of Public Health and Mental Health and Addiction Services Encourage Residents to Quit for a Day during the Great American Smokeout!
The Departments of Public Health and Mental Health and Addiction Services invite all Connecticut tobacco users to join smokers from around the nation by participating in the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout® on Thursday, November 21. The Great American Smokeout® encourages tobacco users to take the first step towards quitting, by stopping for at least one day, with the hope that they will decide to stay tobacco-free forever.“For over fifty years we have seen the ill health effects from smoking combustible cigarettes, and now we are seeing more negative effects with the vaping-related lung injuries that are being reported. The Great American Smokeout® gives you the perfect chance to schedule your quit for any product that you are smoking or vaping,” says Department of Public Health Commissioner Renée D. Coleman-Mitchell.
To assist tobacco users, the Department of Public Health has programs available free of charge to Connecticut residents: The Connecticut Quitline at 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) has professionally trained Quit Coaches available to prepare participants for their quit date that includes helping them to design an individualized quit plan. Many Quit Coaches are former smokers themselves. Registration is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is also online registration and more information available at CommitToQuitCT.com, along with a texting program to help stay on track.
Many insurance plans cover tobacco use cessation counseling services. People can check with their insurance provider to see what their options are. In addition, there are smartphone apps available to help guide people through the quit process; see the options available at https://www.smokefree.gov to start.
Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon says, “The best way to quit smoking is to never start. The younger a person is when they begin to smoke, the more likely they are to become addicted to nicotine. On October 1st of this year, Connecticut became the 13th state in the country to raise the age to purchase tobacco products including electronic cigarettes and vapor products to 21 years old, limiting access to teens and young adults and helping to prevent nicotine addiction”.