Pa. shares information to help smokers begin journey to quit

WILKES-BARRE — The Great American Smokeout is an annual event that takes place on the third Thursday in November to encourage smokers to start a journey toward a smoke-free life.

In recognition of this year’s commemoration, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine this week said smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases and reduces the health of smokers in general,

“Many adults who are using cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and cigars want to quit smoking, but it is not easy and takes time, a plan and support,” Levine said. “All Pennsylvanians can call the PA Free Quitline 24 hours a day, seven days a week to be connected with services and resources that will help them stop smoking.”

The Department of Health encourages residents to take steps to quit smoking as part of the Great American Smokeout — an initiative of the American Cancer Society.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

Levine said quitting smoking is a process, and success may look different for different people. There are many ways to quit smoking, and some work better than others.

The Department of Health partners with National Jewish Health to provide the quit line to all Pennsylvanians. Residents call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669), or 1-855-DEJELO-YA (335-3569) (Spanish), to receive free services, including:

• Up to five coaching sessions by phone;

• Unlimited calls to the PA Free Quitline as needed;

• Educational materials on quitting tobacco use; and

• Free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for qualified callers (up to eight weeks of patches, gum or lozenges).

Between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, 13,623 residents used services from the PA Free Quitline to help them quit smoking. During this same time period, 8,733 tobacco users enrolled in PA Free Quitline counseling.

An additional 521 existing clients who had completed intake in previous fiscal years continued to receive services.

This year’s Smokeout theme — “You don’t have to stop smoking in one day; Start with day one” — encourages smokers to join others across the country in taking an important step toward a healthier life and reducing their cancer risk.

According to the American Cancer Society:

• About 32.4 million American adults still smoke cigarettes, and smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world.

• Smoking causes an estimated 480,000 deaths every year, or about 1 in 5 deaths. And more than 16 million Americans live with a smoking-related disease.

• While the rates of cigarette smoking have declined over the past several decades — from 42% in 1965 to 13.7% in 2019 the — gains have been inconsistent.

• Some groups smoke more heavily or at higher rates and suffer disproportionately from smoking-related cancer and other diseases.

• No matter your age or how long you’ve been smoking, quitting improves health both immediately and over the long term.

Additional information on how to quit smoking, and on the dangers of e-cigarette and tobacco use can be found on the Department of Health’s website at — health.pa.gov — or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.