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Contact: Jill Conley
State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership
(303) 692-3015
For Immediate Release Thursday, October 16, 2003
“I DID IT!” CAMPAIGN CELEBRATES SMOKING CESSATION SUCCESS
DENVER – Thousands of people across Colorado are kicking their heels
up over “kicking the habit.”
“I did it. And so can you,” is what former smokers are telling their
fellow Coloradoans in a new statewide public awareness campaign,
which began on Thursday, Oct. 16.
The launch of the public awareness campaign marks the second
anniversary of the Colorado Quitline and the Colorado QuitNet, two
free tobacco cessation services offered to residents statewide by
the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Since
their inception, the Colorado Quitline (800-639-QUIT) has provided
counseling services to 12,000 smokers, while the QuitNet (www.co.quitnet.com)
has offered support to more than 9,000 Coloradoans.
The campaign was debuted at a news conference held at 10 a.m. on
Thursday, Oct. 16, at the National Jewish Medical and Research
Center in Denver, where the Quitline is based.
“Anyone who has ever quit smoking will tell you it’s one of the
biggest accomplishments of their life,” said QuitNet User Dub Jones
of Denver. “It’s like being freed from the prison of addiction and
that’s definitely something to celebrate.”
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“I Did It” Campaign—Page 2
The “I Did It!” campaign includes a series of television ads that
feature testimonials from more than 20 Coloradoans who have used the
Quitline and QuitNet to quit smoking for good. Participants range in
age from 20 to 62 — several of whom smoked for 30 years or longer
before getting the help they needed. The concept was borrowed from a
successful smoking cessation campaign conducted by the Utah
Department of Public Health.
The ads, which were produced by the State Tobacco Education and
Prevention Partnership (STEPP), a program of the Colorado Department
of Public Health and Environment, are designed to let people know
that with services such as the Quitline and QuitNet, quitting
smoking is easier than ever before. In the ads, real people who have
actually quit smoking talk candidly about why they wanted to quit;
how many times they tried before; and how good it feels to have
finally done it. They also encourage others to give the Quitline and
QuitNet a try.
“I quit smoking for my kids, my health and because I was tired of
watching my money go up in smoke,” said Quitline user Amy Lee of
Denver, who is featured in the ads. “The Quitline gave me the
support I needed to quit for good.”
Douglas H. Benevento, the executive director of the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment, said, “This public
awareness campaign confirms that, with the help of the Quitline and
QuitNet programs, it really is possible to stop smoking. We applaud
those individuals who have already quit and look forward to helping
more Coloradoans become former smokers.”
“The ‘I Did It’ ads remind people of all the reasons they want to
quit smoking and let them know that they are not alone in their
desire to quit,” said STEPP Program Manager Karen DeLeeuw. “The
Colorado Quitline and QuitNet are available to support any Colorado
resident in their quit attempts and have been proven to increase
their chances for success,” she said.
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“I Did It” Campaign—Page 3
In addition to the television campaign, communities throughout the
state are staging events that celebrate the successes of residents
who have quit smoking and encourage others to follow suit.
Physicians and oral health care providers also are participating in
the campaign by displaying “I Did It!” posters in their offices and
distributing brochures to patients who use tobacco.
Funded with proceeds from the Master Settlement Agreement reached by
the states’ attorneys general and the tobacco industry, the Colorado
Quitline is a toll-free telephone counseling service that connects
people who want to quit smoking with trained counselors who can
guide and support them through the quitting process. Operated by
National Jewish Medical and Research Center, this service is
available in both English and Spanish to residents anywhere in the
state.
The Quitline is available Monday through Thursday between the hours
of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.; on Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; and on
Saturday and Sunday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
The Colorado QuitNet is an Internet-based tobacco cessation service
that offers peer support through an online community of individuals
who are trying to quit, as well as expert advice on quitting
strategies and information about pharmaceutical products that may be
helpful.
“Virtually anyone in the state who has access to a telephone can
take advantage of these convenient and confidential services free of
charge simply by dialing 1-800-639-QUIT (7848), or by logging onto
www.co.quitnet.com,” said DeLeeuw.
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