Benefits of Quitting
Tobacco dependence is a chronic condition that often requires
repeated intervention and multiple attempts to quit; however, effective
treatments exist that can significantly increase rates of long-term abstinence.
It is never too late to stop using tobacco and there are immediate health
benefits from quitting; those benefits continue for years after quitting.
20 minutes
after quitting the heart rate drops
12 hours
after quitting carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal
2 weeks to
3 months after quitting heart attack risk begins to drop and lung function
begins to improve
1 to 9
months after quitting coughing and shortness of breath decrease
1 year
after quitting the risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker
5 – 15
years after quitting the risk of stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker
10 years
after quitting the lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker’s.
15 years
after quitting the risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a
nonsmoker.
Cooper-Clayton Program: In Person The Cooper Clayton Method
to Stop Smoking is a free group support smoking cessation program
provided by the Health Department, St. Elizabeth Hospital, St. Elizabeth
Physicians, and the Kentucky Cancer Program. Groups meet for 1 hour an evening
for 13 weeks and are led by a trained facilitator. Each week there is a short
video clip followed by group discussion. Participants are responsible for
purchasing the nicotine patch, gum or other cessation aid if they choose to use
them, but are not required to. Sessions held three times a year, with classes
starting in September, January and April. For more information, please call 859.301.5570.
Learn more
about the spring 2013 session.
View the video below to see a success story from
someone who tried the Cooper Clayton Method to Stop Smoking.
Get Help Quitting with Cooper-Clayton Online The
Cooper-Clayton Method to Stop Smoking program
is a comprehensive, 13-week program that helps you stop smoking with peer
support, educational guidance, and nicotine replacement products (i.e.
patch, gum, lozenge). Check back for details about future sessions of the online program.
Find Help
Quitting on Facebook
The Health Department's smoking cessation program has launched a Facebook
page. From the page, you can learn more about the health benefits of smoke-free
air and resources to help you quit smoking.
Tobacco Quitline 1-800-QUIT NOW is a statewide telephone service that will provide brief
intervention and support for people who want to stop smoking or using other
tobacco products. Callers, both smokers and nonsmokers, can receive information
about tobacco dependence and treatment options. Tobacco cessation counselors
will staff phone lines Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern Standard
Time. This program is
available in Northern Kentucky through the
Kentucky Department for Public
Health's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program. For more information,
please read the fact sheet on the quit line in
English or
Spanish
(note
Adobe Acrobat is required to read the fact sheet).
The quit line is offering free nicotine
patches to certain users through July 1, 2013. Adults who are between the ages
of 18 and 34 and who don't have insurance qualify for a two-week supply,
provided that they meet medical eligibilty requirements. Call the quit line at
1-800-QUIT NOW for details.
Make Yours a
Fresh Start Family This free program is
intended to raise awareness about the risks of tobacco and secondhand smoke by
targeting pregnant women and mothers of young children It's offered at the
Health Department's county health centers--call
for details.
