Tennessee Tobacco Quitline Offers Support for Smokers During the Great American Smokeout

 Call the Quitline this November 16

 Nashville, November 9, 2006

Every year, smokers across the nation participate in the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, which challenges people to stop using tobacco and raises awareness of the many effective ways to quit smoking for good. This year, the observance takes place on Thursday, November 16, 2006, and the Tennessee Department of Health encourages tobacco users to call the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT-NOW or 1-800-784-8669 to set a plan for how to quit.

“Research indicates that smokers with a cessation plan and who seek support achieve the greatest success in kicking the habit for good,” said Health Commissioner Kenneth S. Robinson, M.D. “The Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine will give the people of Tennessee the support they need to quit. I applaud the many Tennesseans who are taking responsibility for their actions and are starting to live healthier lives  - for themselves and for their families.”

The Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine offers personalized support for Tennessee residents who want to quit smoking by connecting them with trained coaches to guide them through the quitting process. Callers will receive ongoing professional coaching via individually scheduled calls with a coach personally assigned to them. This convenient and confidential service is available to Tennessee residents in both English and Spanish. The service is also available for the deaf and hard-of-hearing at TTY: 1-877-559-3816.

By contacting the QuitLine, callers will also have complimentary access to relapse prevention techniques, printed resource materials, information on nicotine replacement therapies and other services to aid in the quitting process.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in Tennessee and the nation. According to the Center for Disease Control, smoking accounts for approximately 9,400 deaths in Tennessee every year, nearly half of which are due to lung cancer.

“The costs of smoking are significant; not only from increased medical costs in the state, but also from lost productivity in the workplace and from the associated chronic health issues that affect tobacco users and those subjected to secondhand smoke,” Robinson said. “For instance, the impact of secondhand smoke even extends to unborn and newborn babies who are placed at an increased risk for prematurity, low birthweight and infant mortality.”

The benefits of quitting tobacco are significant and almost immediate. Within 20 minutes of giving up tobacco, elevated blood pressure and pulse decrease; in two days, nerve endings regenerate; in two weeks, circulation improves; in one to nine months fatigue and shortness of breath decrease; and in one year, the risk of a heart attack is cut in half. 

The Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine (1-800-QUIT-NOW or 1-800-784-8669) is a statewide toll-free telephone tobacco cessation treatment program made possible through the Tennessee Department of Health. There is no charge to callers for services and callers have unlimited access to a quit coach through the QuitLine. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST.