• Home
  • News
    • Politics / Govt
    • Legislature
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Archives
  • Sports
    • Badgers
    • Packers
      • Titletown Report
    • Brewers
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Military / Veterans get help kicking butts

Veterans get help kicking butts

November 15, 2006 By WRN Contributor

A new program aims to help veterans quit smoking. Veterans might find it easier to put down those smokes and chewing tobacco with the help of Operation Quit Tobacco. "A program designed to help Wisconsin military personnel who use tobacco and want to quit … to do that successfully," says Dr. Michael Fiore. "Whether you're active duty, reservists, National Guard, or a veteran, if you're ready to quit we're ready to help."

Dr. Michael Fiore (M.D.), director of the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention , says up to 50% of returning Iraqi veterans use tobacco, which is a higher rate than when they went into the service. And Fiore says the health implications are staggering. "We saw a real peak of tobacco use particularly among veterans that returned from WWII. That was then followed two decades later by an epidemic of lung cancer."

Operation Quit Tobacco is designed to ensure the new group of veterans doesn't suffer the same fate as earlier vets. The amount of Americans who smoke is 24%, while the rate among veterans is 34%. Fiore says veterans can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, to get a combination of medication and coaching to help them kick the habit. Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of premature death in the U.S.

NOTE1: The UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention and its partners in this endeavor – including the  Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs , Department of Military Affairs and the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison – will get the information to veterans through newsletters, websites, brochures, pamphlets, posters, mailings to community based clinics, and news conferences.

NOTE2: Fiore says they do have efforts to target other groups in a similar method as this veterans' initiative, to address their high rates of smoking. Those groups include the uninsured, and those on Medicaid and BadgerCare. The rate of smoking within those groups approaches 40%.

AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (1:28 MP3)

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Military



Featured Stories

Evers delivers State of the State address

Abortion rights rally highlights Wisconsin Supreme Court race

Bail and benefits questions will be on Wisconsin’s April statewide ballot

Evers issues promised TikTok ban

Johnson, Baldwin both vote ‘yes’ to avert rail strike

TwitterFacebook

Sports Headlines

Giannis breaks franchise scoring record, Bucks beat Nets in OT

Wisconsin’s Davis declares for NBA Draft

Badgers to face Arizona State in Las Vegas Bowl

Williams likely out for the season with broken hand

Packers releasing TE Jace Sternberger

More Sports

Tweets by @WRN

Get our news delivered to your inbox:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Copyright © 2023 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC