BUFFALO, N.Y., Nov. 10 (UPI) -- In honor of Veterans Day, Smokers' Quitline is urging U.S. troops to quit smoking or chewing tobacco, officials with the New York state organization say.
K. Michael Cummings, chairman of the department of health behavior at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., says Quitline, based at Roswell Park, is a free resource for New York state residents and offers smoking cessation services tailored to the caller's schedule and needs, including:
-- A free starter kit of nicotine patches or gum for eligible smokers.
-- Trained Quitline coaches that offer assistance.
-- Free online smoke-free community and information at www.nysmokefree.com.
-- Information about local stop-smoking programs.
-- Motivational taped messages.
Tobacco use is estimated at 40 percent higher in veterans than in the general population, a Society of General Internal Medicine report reports, while the American Journal of Public Health says "the prevalence of smoking among veterans returning from recent wars is similar to that of the U.S. adult population during the late 1960s."
New York state military personnel can call the Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS, or 1-866-697-8487 and online at: nysmokefree.com.
"The New York state Smokers' Quitline provides free coaching and medication to help smokers break free from tobacco," Cummings says in a statement. "These are two key elements that increase the odds of success when it comes to quitting smoking or chewing tobacco."
