On Great American Smokeout, help is there
Help is a phone call away for Virginians who plan to quit using tobacco Thursday as part of the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout.
The Virginia Department of Health's smoking "quitline," (800) 784-8669, is available from 8 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. Counseling for adults is offered in English and Spanish. After-hours callers can get prerecorded messages and may leave a message to be called back.
Shawna Shields of the Health Department's tobacco-use-control project said there have been 15,121 calls to the Virginia quitline since it was introduced in November 2005. That includes 3,068 calls in the past 12 months.
Close to 40 percent of smokers in the United States tried to quit last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research suggests it takes four to as many as nine tries before the average smoker is able to stop.
"It's not a one-shot thing," Shields said. "We know it can be difficult."
The quit-smoking line is funded by a grant from the CDC and is staffed by Seattle-based Free & Clear Inc.
As of Thursday, the state Health Department is banning smoking on its grounds at the Madison Building in downtown Richmond.
A governor-ordered ban on smoking in state buildings and vehicles has been in place since Jan. 1, 2007, but that ban has allowed smoking in designated areas outside.
Shields said Health Department officials hope other state offices will adopt the tobacco-free policy.
Also as part of Thursday's Great American Smokeout, Virginia Commonwealth University medical students will rally in support of a smoke-free medical campus. The 1 p.m. rally will be held in the courtyard in front of the Egyptian Building.
Find out more
American Cancer Society: www.cancer.orgVirginia Department of Health: www.vdh.virginia.gov
American Lung Association: www.lungusa.org
| Contact Tammie Smith at (804) 649-6572 or . |
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