Carson City July 29, 2020
Smokers, other tobacco users, including those who use e-cigarettes and vaping devices can get free phone tobacco cessation counseling and resources to help them quit.
Resources include medications made available by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Medications include gum and/or patches, lozenges, inhalers, and/or nasal sprays; supplies depend on availability and eligibility.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Tips From Former Smokers national tobacco education campaign is encouraging smokers to call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) for help getting medications and counseling at no cost. Callers must enroll in the Nevada Tobacco Quitline to work with a trained coach and be medically eligible to receive free medication.
People who smoke cigarettes can and do quit. In fact, today there are more former smokers than current smokers in the United States. According to the CDC (2018), about 68%of adult cigarette smokers want to quit and research shows quitting completely at any age has health benefits.
Stopping smoking:
• Lowers your risk of developing lung, throat, bladder, and cervical cancers.
• Reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Reduces the risk of developing complications in people with diabetes.
• Reduces respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
• Reduces risk of developing lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Reduces risk of infertility in women of childbearing age. Women who stop smoking during pregnancy also reduce their risk of having a low birth weight baby.
• Lowers health risks associated with secondhand smoke.
Quitline counseling and medication, including gum, patches, lozenges, inhalers, and/or nasal sprays are all effective tools in helping smokers quit. Using them together is more effective than using any other method alone. Medications help smokers quit by decreasing the urge to smoke and other withdrawal symptoms while quitting.
Data shows approximately one out of every six of Nevada adults smoke. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. Smoking kills 480,000 Americans each year and is responsible for diseases affecting another 16 million.
Additional information on quitting tobacco is available at https://nevada.quitlogix.org or cdc.gov/tips.