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FREE HELP TAILORED FOR MOMS-TO-BE FROM THE OKLAHOMA
TOBACCO HELPLINE IN OBSERVANCE OF MOTHER’S DAY
Free Two-Week "Starter Kits" for Others Wanting to Quit Tobacco
OKLAHOMA CITY (May 9, 2008) - Even though they don’t know it yet, 18 month old Johnathon and his little brother Xaviar due in July, have given their mom the best Mother’s Day gift ever – the reason to quit smoking for good.
“I started smoking when I was 13 years old,” said 22 year-old Ashley Adams of Shawnee. “It was peer pressure and growing up in a home where someone smoked. I tried to quit several times on my own, and did while I was pregnant with my first son, but then I relapsed.”
Told of the dangers of secondhand smoke and smoking while pregnant by her health care professional, Ashley knew things had to change.
“Sometimes you just don’t realize how smoking can harm others, especially your children, until your doctor lays it out for you. I did begin smoking again after Johnathon was born, but decided my home would be a smokefree area for the health of my family. With the support of my family and my concern for my second baby’s health during my pregnancy, I decided I would quit for good.”
The Pottawatomie County Health Department referred Ashley to the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, a free tobacco cessation program that offers quit help tailored specifically to the needs of moms-to-be.
“I knew I wanted to quit and the Helpline coaching by phone worked perfectly because of my already busy schedule, my energetic toddler and being pregnant,” said Adams. “The Helpline coach was very empathetic, listened to me and offered great advice on how to make it through the rough times while I was trying to quit. The coaching support for moms-to-be combined with my quit plan and my children’s health has made my quit successful. I know that this time I have quit for good and that I will be a healthier Mom and a healthier role-model for my sons.”
The Helpline is ready to help all Oklahomans who are ready to quit. By calling the Helpline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW, Oklahomans can receive free telephone based sessions with a professional quitting coach. The sessions focus on developing a quit plan tailored to participants’ personal needs and on offering critical support in sticking with the plan. In observance of Mother’s Day, Oklahoma residents who call the Helpline for coaching will also receive a free two-week “starter kit” of nicotine patches or gum mailed directly to their homes. This combination of cessation medications and coaching more than double the chances of a successful quit attempt. Free two-week “starter kits” will be offered for a limited time.
The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline's hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, and staff will return any messages left after hours. Services are also available in Spanish by calling 1-800-793-1552. For more information on the Helpline, please visit: www.ok.gov/tset/Programs/Helpline.html. The Helpline is sponsored by the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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