Quitting tobacco use can be difficult but not impossible.
And for those trying to give up nicotine in the new year, the Texas Department
of State Health Services (DSHS) is more than doubling its resources dedicated to
free cessation services provided through the American Cancer Society’s Quitline.
This year, DSHS will provide $550,000 for the service, up from $250,000 provided
in 2007.
The toll-free
multi-lingual telephone counseling service, at 1-877-YES-QUIT (877-937-7848), is
available to all Texans trying to quit smoking or dipping. Calls to the Quitline
have increased significantly since DSHS began funding the service in 2001,
totaling more than 6,250 calls in the last fiscal year.
A federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant for cessation services and
funds from the Texas tobacco settlement provide the DSHS funding directed to the
Quitline.
“One of the
most important things we can do to improve the health of Texans is to help those
who smoke to quit,” said Penny Harmonson, DSHS tobacco prevention and control
program manager. “Research shows that those who get help through a service such
as the Quitline are more successful at breaking their nicotine addiction than
those who go it alone.”
The Quitline
provides free, confidential telephone counseling 24 hours a day, seven days a
week, with tools and strategies tailored to each individual caller. The service
also offers callers self-help booklets and advice about support programs
available in their communities. Resources and information to help you quit
tobacco use also are available online at
www.yesquit.com.
In addition to the Quitline service, your
chance of success is even better, Harmonson said, if you talk to your doctor
about medications that can help ease cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
The adult smoking rate in Texas dropped
below 20 percent for the first time in 2006 with a rate of 18.1 percent, below
the national average of 20.2 percent. Still, more than 3 million Texans continue
to smoke, and 24,000 of them die from tobacco-related illnesses each year.
The Quitline
service is available year-round, but demand usually peaks as a new year begins
when many smokers resolve to stop using tobacco.
“The new year
symbolizes a fresh start for many people, but help is available anytime,”
Harmonson said. “The first step is choosing a quit date that’s right for you.
Mark it on your calendar and make the call.”
