The Great American Smokeout Hits Hawaii Encouraging Smokers to Quit!

HONOLULU, Nov. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Several community organizations throughout the islands are celebrating the American Cancer Society's 38^th annual Great American Smokeout with events in November to encourage smokers to quit smoking for good.  Held on November 21, 2013, the Great American Smokeout is an annual nationwide event created to encourage smokers to set a quit date for smoking.

For the first time ever in Hawaii, people who want to quit smoking during the Great American Smokeout will have the opportunity to quit through a new web-based program.  By enrolling at www.ClearTheSmoke.org, smokers can receive free help – including free nicotine replacement patches or gum – through the Hawaii Tobacco Quitline's new "Online Coaching" program.  

As always, smokers can get free coaching and personalized help by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) and enrolling in the phone-based quit program.  Free patches or free gum, free coaching and free customized quit plans are still part of the package.

Whether you choose to quit online or via phone, the Hawaii Tobacco Quitline is available 24/7 to all adult tobacco users that want to quit smoking, regardless of insurance.

"It's great that Hawaii now offers two different ways for smokers to get help quitting. We think this will be particularly appealing for people who have tried to quit in the past but haven't been able to quit for good," said Pedro Haro, Spokesperson for the Hawaii Tobacco Quitline.  "The Great American Smokeout is the perfect opportunity for smokers who have tried to quit in the past to give it another chance."

Every year since 1977, the American Cancer Society has sponsored the Great American Smokeout nation-wide on the third Thursday of November to help smokers quit cigarettes for at least one day, in hopes they will quit forever.  This year the events will be held on Thursday, November 21^st in several locations around the state, including:

Oahu:
The University of Hawaii at Manoa Health Services is hosting the annual Great American Smokeout fair. The festivities will be held on Thursday, November 21st, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Campus Center Ballroom. The Great American Smokeout provides an interactive atmosphere for sharing and learning about alternatives to tobacco use through healthy lifestyle choices.

There will also be two screenings of the documentary film "Addiction Incorporated".  The movie tells the true story of the Tobacco Companies' commitment to addicting the human brain and how the world came to know about it.  Free movie! Free popcorn! This will be at the UH – Manoa Student Services Building, Room 412, noon and 7pm showings.  For more information, contact [email protected]

This event spotlighting the Great American Smokeout comes at an excellent time for the University of Hawaii at Manoa, which recently approved a policy to become a 100% smokefree campus.  Beginning January 1^st, 2014 students, staff, workers, visitors and everyone else will have to be completely off university property to use any type of tobacco product.  The ban includes cigars, cigarettes and e-cigarettes – and it also extends to dorms and inside cars that are on campus.

This new policy has faculty support and was student led from the beginning.  The school plans to make educational opportunities and resources available for those who would like to quit smoking.  School officials have been quoted as saying, "We are trying to create a healthier campus with a policy that will apply to everyone."

Kauai:
The Kauai Coalition for A Tobacco-Free Hawaii is encouraging Kauai establishments to implement a one-day "no Electronic Smoking Devices" policy on November 18^th in celebration of Great American Smokeout.  Then, at Tobacco-Free Kauai's annual meeting, November 19^th, they will honor and celebrate businesses that choose to participate in the Great American Smokeout.  The annual meeting will be a pau hana from 5:00-6:30pm.  Location TBD.  Email [email protected] for more information.

Maui:
The Maui Coalition for A Tobacco-Free Hawaii will be celebrating Great American Smokeout at the University of Hawaii Maui Campus.  There will be a Health Fair from 11am-1pm outside the Paina Cafe.  A Campus Clean-up will follow from 2:30-3:30pm with MEO Youth.  Meet outside the Paina Cafe.  Festivities will end with a screening of the documentary, Addiction Incorporated, which exposes Big Tobacco and the effects of nicotine. The film will be shown beginning at 4pm at UHMC – Pilina Building, Student Lounge.

East Hawaii:
The Coalition for A Tobacco-Free Hawaii East Hawaii will screen the documentary Addiction Incorporated on Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at 6:30 pm at UH Hilo.  They will be handing out Quit Smoking Resource kits to pass out to family members, friends and/or co-workers on Great American Smokeout (11/21/13).  They will also be announcing the winners of their "Keep Me Smoke-Free, It's the Law" poster contest for high school students in grades 9-12 in East Hawaii.  To reserve seats to the movie of for more information contact Sally Ancheta at [email protected] or call 936-2686

The Hawaii Tobacco Quitline programs (phone and online) provide personalized help for Hawaii's smokers, families and loved ones of tobacco users, and healthcare professionals who may want specific information on quit-smoking medications and services available to help their patients quit.  All phone and online participants receive information and materials – and some may be referred to additional cessation groups or related programs in their local communities if they are interested in connecting with other tobacco users in a small, confidential setting.

Specially trained Quitline Coaches work with individuals one-on-one to develop Quit Plans that are custom made to fit their lifestyle and needs.  Plans include identifying triggers to smoking, real-world ideas on how to deal with cravings and sincere support as participants move through the program toward their goals.  "The Quitline has been a great success here in Hawaii. We hope that the addition of the new Online Coaching program will make it even more convenient for more of Hawaii's smokers to give the Quitline a try!" said Valerie Smalley, Quitline Coach for 8 Years.

For more information, please visit clearthesmoke.org or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

About Hawaii Tobacco Quitline and Hawaii Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund

The Hawaii Tobacco Quitline is funded by the Hawaii Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund. The trust fund's dollars represent a portion of Hawaii's Master Settlement Agreement payments resulting from a joint lawsuit against the four biggest U.S. tobacco companies to recover health care costs for treatment of tobacco-related illnesses paid for by taxpayers, The Hawaii Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund provides resources for community organizations to create and maintain a Hawaii free from tobacco use, addiction, and exposure to second-hand smoke.

SOURCE Hawaii Tobacco Quitline