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ROCHESTER, MINN. -- New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman today announces that the state has chosen Mayo Tobacco Quitline to provide telephone-based counseling services for the state's residents who want to quit using tobacco.
The $2.2 million, three-year contract is one of several programs that New Jersey will employ to help reduce the toll of tobacco-related diseases on its residents. The program is funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with the tobacco industry.
"This is a free service provided to all residents of New Jersey," says Christine Grant, commissioner of the Department of Health and Senior Services. "We think this is a great opportunity for residents who want to quit using tobacco, and we're excited about working with Mayo Tobacco Quitline to provide this service.
"We have gathered new data on smoking in the state, and it reveals that two out of three New Jersey smokers overwhelmingly want to quit," she continues. "The greatest interest comes from young smokers -- 74 percent of whom say they want to quit. We understand how difficult it can be to succeed, and we believe that Mayo Tobacco Quitline offers a hands-on tool that can help residents free themselves from tobacco for good."
On Oct. 26, Governor Whitman and members of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services will hold news conferences at Rutgers University, Newark, and Rowan University, Glassboro, to introduce Quitline and an online tool to New Jersey residents. They also will challenge college students and other young people -- a growing segment of tobacco users -- to try these free tools to quit.
"Research shows that enrollment in formal programs such as Mayo Tobacco Quitline doubles participants' likelihood to stop using tobacco," says Daniel Broughton, M.D., medical director for Mayo Tobacco Quitline. "The Mayo Tobacco Quitline has a 34 percent cessation rate at six months and a 24 percent rate at 12 months."
The Mayo Tobacco Quitline is staffed by experienced counselors trained by clinical experts at Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center. Calls are conducted individually to allow counselors to focus on the unique needs of the individual.
"The Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center was one of the first facilities in the country to exclusively treat patients' dependent on tobacco," says Dr. J. Taylor Hays, associate director, Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center. "We integrate clinical, research and educational activities to provide a framework for developing innovative and effective interventions to help people stop using tobacco. Quitline is one example of this."
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Shelly Plutowski507-284-2417 (days)507-284-2511 (even
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