SWDHU Offering Free "Quit Kits" For Tobacco Users At Coming Event

Source from:  The Dickinson Press 11/15/2019

The Great American Smoke Out is coming.

The nationwide event on Nov. 21 to help people quit smoking is being celebrated by Southwest District Health Unit in Dickinson and public health units in the surrounding counties.

Each agency is going beyond their normal efforts and providing tobacco users with the support and resources they need to quit.

The event is observed the third Thursday of November every year, Jennifer Schaeffer, SWDHU tobacco prevention coordinator, explained.

"It's challenging smokers to give up tobacco for 24 hours," she said, "and, of course, hoping they'll take this first step toward quitting for good."

"We offer one month free of the nicotine patch, gum or lozenge, and will pay for medications if they can't for that first month," Schaeffer said. "Also, showing them how to get in touch with NDQuits."

The NDQuits hotline and website offers an additional two months free of the patch, gum or lozenge, as well as providing free counseling advice and support.

For tobacco users, the benefits of quitting are many, Schaeffer said.

"It increases their longevity of life, and decreases heart attacks and lung, bronchial problems. Their quality of life would be much better," she said. "Its healthier for their families, too."

In North Dakota, 19% of adults smoke cigarettes, Schaeffer said. This is higher than the national average of most states, which is 14%.

"That's stayed pretty steady from 2014 on," she said. "It's teetered between 18% and 19%."

Schaeffer has seen that increases in local tobacco users who want to quit.

"Especially since the smoke free laws went into effect, we've seen a lot of people come in and want to quit because they can no longer smoke indoors," she said. "We have a lot of people who are just tired of the habit and would like help quitting, and they need guidance and support."

She added, "They are very appreciative after they quit and realize last week it was 5 below and they didn't have to go out in that."

Growing concerns about vaping could also inspire more people to seek help.

"Some tobacco users have switched to vaping, thinking that's a safer alternative, and it's not, and we're seeing a lot of illnesses with it," Schaeffer said. "They're realizing they may have switched, but they haven't truly quit that addiction."

Several area counties are participating in Thursday's event, Schaeffer said, including Bowman, Golden Valley, Bowman, and Dunn.

The help isn't always wanted, though.

"In my experience, it's very rare to find somebody who's smoking that wants to quit, but every once in a while they surprise us and they want information," Angela Greff, Hettinger County community health nurse, said.

Hettinger County Public Health Unit in Mott will have quit kits and information ready for those who do want help.

"We're probably like any other place. We have our smokers here. We have those we know smoke and most of them won't quit yet," Greff said. "We just keep pounding away at them every year, asking them if they want to quit."  Enditem