Jacksonville, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health in Duval County (DOH-Duval) and Tobacco Free Florida (TFF) will celebrate the Great American Smokeout, Thursday, November 20th. Tobacco users in Duval County are encouraged to plan in advance to quit on that day, or to use the day to make a quit plan. In observance, DOH-Duval and TFF will host a program titled, “Lessons Learned: Teachable Moments with Tobacco Cessation.” The program will be held at Florida State College at Jacksonville Downtown Advanced Technology Center, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, and will feature Naval Hospital Jacksonville Director of Public Health Captain Joseph McQuade, M.D.

“Celebrating the Great American Smokeout is an opportunity to remind tobacco users of the health benefits of being tobacco free,” said DOH-Duval Director Dr. Kelli Wells. “Finding support in available resources can be the first step in ending tobacco use, and living a healthier lifestyle.”

The Great American Smokeout, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, is currently in its 39th year. The observance raises awareness about the dangers of smoking and the many effective resources available to successfully quit.

“Now is a very good time to make a quit attempt because we have great support systems in place,” said DOH-Duval Tobacco Prevention Program Director Dr. Rob Thomas. “No one has to feel alone in their effort to end tobacco use.”

While quitting tobacco is difficult, it is not impossible. There are more former smokers in Florida than there are current smokers.i Those who have tried to quit in the past but relapsed are encouraged to try again. Many former smokers have made several attempts before quitting permanently.ii

Tobacco Free Florida offers 3 Free & Easy Ways to Quit:

• CALL: Call the Florida Quitline at 1-877-U-CAN-NOW to speak with a Quit Coach who will help assess a user’s addiction and help create a personalized quit plan.
• CLICK: Enroll in the Web Coach®, which will help to create a web-based quit plan unique to each individual user, visit https://www.quitnow.net/florida.
• COME IN: Sign up for group classes at your local Area Health Education Center (AHEC) by calling 904-482-0189 or visiting http://www.northfloridaahec.org/

Since 2007, more than 93,400 Floridians have successfully quit using one of these free services. For more information, please visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com.

ABOUT TOBACCO FREE FLORIDA

The Department’s Tobacco Free Florida campaign is a statewide cessation and prevention campaign funded by Florida’s tobacco settlement fund.

Tobacco users interested in quitting are encouraged to use one of the state’s three ways to quit. To learn more about Tobacco Free Florida and the state’s free quit resources, visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com or follow the campaign on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TobaccoFreeFlorida or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tobaccofreefla.

The Department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. During 2014, the Department is recognizing 125 years of public health in Florida with educational opportunities and events. Please visit www.FLHealth125.gov for more information.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.floridahealth.gov.
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