Is 2012 your year to quit tobacco use? The risks of tobacco use and the benefits of quitting are well known. Tobacco use can harm almost every organ in the body, but once you quit the body starts to recover. Quitting is difficult, and smokers often have to try multiple times before they succeed for good. The State of North Carolina and other organizations currently have some helpful resources available for people who are ready to quit.
QuitlineNC provides free telephone-based coaching to North Carolinians over the age of 18 who want one-on-one support to quit. For a limited time, individuals who sign-up for QuitlineNC coaching can also sign-up for free over the counter medications to help them quit, like nicotine gum or patches. This program has limited supplies of free medications, so if you’ve been thinking about quitting, now might be a good time!
Another resource for information and support for quitting is http://smokefree.gov/. You can compare different medication options, find answers to questions about withdrawal symptoms, and even take a quiz to identify your “triggers” for wanting cigarettes. If you don’t feel like you need a coach but could use some guidance quitting, this site also has an online program that walks you through the steps.
If there’s a smoker in your life who you’d like to encourage to quit, the CDC offers free e-cards that can help you send this message. Additionally, if this special person in your life does decide to quit, take a look at these recommendations from the American Cancer Society on how you can best support them in this endeavor.
