Free Resources for Shorewood-Area Smokers Who Want to Quit
July 1 Brings Clean Indoor Air
Free Resources Available to Shorewood-Area Smokers Wanting to Quit Smoking
With Shorewood’s smoke-free workplace ordinance set to take effect July 1, more area smokers than ever will be thinking about quitting. There are free resources available to help.
Research shows clean-indoor-air laws lead to more quitting. For example, a study in the May 2000 issue of the American Journal of Public Health on the impact of California’s clean-indoor-air laws found that quit rates were 27 percent higher.
“Smoke-free laws have a significant effect on the rates at which tobacco users break their addiction,” said Dr. Michael Fiore, director of the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI). “We expect to see a lot more people in Shorewood and surrounding communities quitting. That’s good news for public health because smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the nation-more than deaths due to AIDS, drugs, suicides, murders and motor vehicle accidents combined.”
Free Help at 1-800-QUIT-NOW
The Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line offers free medications - a stop-smoking patch, lozenges or gum - and telephone coaching on how to quit smoking or chewing tobacco, regardless of insurance coverage. Quit Line callers are four times more successful than smokers who try to quit “cold turkey” (without coaching or medication), according to an independent survey. The Quit Line is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) and has helped more than 130,000 callers since 2001.
Free Resources Mean More People Will Quit
According to the 2003 Wisconsin Tobacco Survey, 65 percent of smokers said they would be more likely to attempt quitting if their health insurance covered the costs of smoking cessation. In most cases, they do have access to the help - they just don’t know it.
Insurance Coverage
Many Wisconsin residents with health insurance have coverage for at least one quit-smoking medication. Medicaid, Medicare, BadgerCare Plus and SeniorCare also cover prescription quit-smoking medications. Smokers should check their plans for coverage and see their doctor for prescriptions. For more information, visit http://www.ctri.wisc.edu/YouCan.
Programs in Milwaukee County and Surrounding Areas
There are local programs that offer in-person support, too, such as classes on how to quit. To view a list in real time, visit http://www.medicine.wisc.edu/quitline/programs/ and click on the specific county.
Or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) and ask for information on services in the area.
The Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line, established in May of 2001, is managed by the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI) and is funded by the state of Wisconsin. UW-CTRI, a University of Wisconsin Medical School program, has provided cessation and prevention services in Wisconsin since 1992 and is a nationally recognized research center. Visit www.ctri.wisc.edu for more information.
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