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www.doh.wa.gov
a healthy dose of
information

Tobacco Facts

 Tobacco-related diseases kill about 7,600 Washington residents every year.

 Number of Washington smokers: Youth – 70,000
Adults – 750,000

On average, it can take eight attempts to quit successfully.
 

CONTACT:
Juliet Thompson
Department of Health
PO Box 47848
Olympia, WA  98504-7848
360-236-3722
juliet.thompson @doh.wa.gov

How To Quit

July 2011

Most tobacco users want to quit
About 46 million Americans smoke regularly, and 70 percent of those men, women, and children want to quit.

Tobacco cessation programs prevent more deaths for less cost than other commonly provided clinical therapies such as mammography, colon cancer screening, and treatment of both high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Health care provider training
Research has shown that more patients will quit tobacco when advised to do so by their doctors, so the Tobacco Program trains local health departments and others to supply doctors, dentists, and other healthcare providers with quit line information.  The Tobacco Program also trains healthcare providers on how to talk to their patients about quitting and helps them develop systems to track a patient’s progress in quitting.  Research has shown that 5- to 15-minutes of counseling by a healthcare provider can change smoking behavior, and more intensive interventions can have an even greater impact.

Counseling for low-income pregnant women
The Tobacco Program trains Department of Social and Health Services case managers to counsel their patients – low-income pregnant women – about quitting tobacco and reducing the amount of secondhand smoke in their homes.

Training for chemical dependency professionals
The Tobacco Program partners with the Department of Social and Health Services’ Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse to train chemical dependency professionals on treating tobacco as a primary addiction.  The program also is collaborating to make treatment centers smoke-free. 

Community and school programs
Nationwide, there are several programs underway that promise to help young people quit using tobacco. Through activities in both communities and schools, the “No On Tobacco” (NOT) and “Ending Nicotine Dependence” (END) programs are being implemented throughout the state. 

A comprehensive approach to fighting tobacco use
Research shows that tobacco prevention programs must conduct a comprehensive set of strategies to be effective.  The Washington State Tobacco Prevention and Control Program provides services to help people quit, conducts public awareness and media campaigns, supports local programs in communities and schools, supports enforcement of policies to keep kids from accessing tobacco products, and evaluates the effectiveness of program activities.

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Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
Washington State Department of Health
111 Israel Rd, PO BOX 47848
Olympia, WA 98504-7848

Last Update : 07/11/2011 01:56 PM
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