Spent cigarettes (PHOTO: Jackie Johnson)
The holiday season has many folks thinking about giving the gift of health — to themselves.
The stress of the holidays might trigger some folks to revert to some old, bad habits, including lighting up. But one expert says many smokers actually think about quitting during the holidays. “For everyone who’s thinking about using the holidays as a time to quit, it’s a wonderful gift to yourselves and your family.”
Dr. Michael Fiore is the founder and director of the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI). He explains, there is help out there for anyone who wants to quit smoking, as a result of funding by the Wisconsin Tobacco Control Program and the Wisconsin Division of Health.
Fiore says a live counselor will work with you every step of the way, helping to develop a personal quit plan. “They’ll send you some self-help materials to work at home and they’ll even send you two weeks of free nicotine patch, gum, or lozenges to help get you started.”
Also, he suggests you talk to your doctor for even more help in kicking the habit.
About 18 percent of adults in Wisconsin are smokers, that’s down 2 percent from 2012.
Call the Wisconsin Tobacco Quitline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 1-800-QUIT-NOW.