Panhandle Health District

                                                            8500 N. Atlas Road         Hayden, Idaho  83835

www.phd1.idaho.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      Date:     March 16, 2010                         

Contact:                                                                            Released by: Lora Whalen                       

Cynthia Taggart                                                                   Family Health Director

Public Information Officer

(208) 415-5108

(208) 818-7288 (cell)

Experts Help Smokers Quit Free

Hayden—A free workshop, sponsored by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Inc., for smokers who want to quit fits neatly into the Panhandle Health District’s (PHD) ongoing program to reduce the number of people using tobacco in the five northern counties.

              The workshop, Get Quit, will run 9-10 a.m., March 24, at the Coeur d’Alene Inn.

              PHD consults at no charge with people who call for help with quitting tobacco. PHD also helps moms and dads who smoke in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition counseling program. Quit-tobacco services are provided free to WIC families when they come to PHD for their regular appointments.

              Teen quit-tobacco classes at PHD are court-ordered, but teens often bring along friends and relatives. As a result, PHD has achieved the second highest teen quit-tobacco success rate in the state.

              A specialist trained at the Mayo Clinic will lead the free Get Quit workshop. The clinic will feature a former smoker who will share quitting experiences. It will cover:

• The science behind nicotine addiction;
• Why it’s so hard to quit;
• A range of treatment options including over-the-counter and prescription methods;
• How to create a quite plan; and
• Strategies for overcoming urges and slip-ups.

             Participants will receive free ongoing support after the quit-tobacco workshop. Light refreshments will be served. Space is limited. To sign up, call 1-888-866-0843.