Colorado QuitLine Prepares For Great American Smokeout
November 14, 2007—Denver—As Thursday, Nov. 15,
approaches, the Colorado QuitLine is
adding additional coaches in anticipation of a large
increase in calls
from smokers during the Great American Smokeout. “Every
year around this time, we hear from thousands of people who
want to quit smoking during the Great American Smokeout on
Nov. 15.
With a free supply of the patch and free advice from
experienced
coaches, it’s the perfect day to try to quit for good by
calling
1-800-QUIT-NOW,” stated Debbie Montgomery, director of
cessation at
the State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership, a
program of the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The
QuitLine is getting ready for the smokers’ calls by adding
additional coaches who will be available Monday through
Thursday, 7 a.m.
to 9 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday and
Sunday, 8 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. “The Great American Smokeout originated in the
hope of encouraging
smokers to quit for a day, so they can quit for life,” said
Montgomery. “By calling the helpful coaches at the QuitLine,
smokers
greatly increase their chances of quitting successfully. For
example,
if you quit cold turkey by yourself, you have only a 3
percent chance of
quitting for good, while using the free supply of patches
and expert
advice from the coaches increases your chance to more than
35
percent.”
Data from a 2005 study by the Tobacco Program Evaluation
Group at the
University of Colorado-Denver concluded that only 17 percent
of Colorado
adults smoke, ranking Colorado ninth in the country for
lowest adult
smoking rates.
The Colorado Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW, 1-800-784-8669,
is operated by
National Jewish Medical and Research Center under contract
to the State
Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership. It is a free,
telephone
coaching service that offers a free supply of the patch and
connects
smokers with trained coaches who help them create a
customized quit
plan. This service is free and available to both English-
and
Spanish-speaking Colorado residents. The service also is
available for
the deaf and hard of hearing at TTY: 800-659-2656. --30-- |
