Smoking Cessation Trust provides all of the resources smokers need to QUIT their addiction...for FREE...at NO COST to taxpayers.
Jim Pittman
Chief Communications Officer, STEM NOLA | STEM Global Action ? Board Chair, Alzheimer's Association Louisiana Chapter [22.8K+ micro-influencers]
"WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical."
The business of addiction is a harmful, deceitful and extremely profitable one. If you live in Louisiana and began a cigarette addiction prior to 9/1/88, the Smoking Cessation Trust and health partners statewide want to help you emerge from that addiction...for FREE...at NO COST to taxpayers.
UPDATED,?October 2,?2019 --?Nicotine is the drug found in cigarettes that makes quitting extremely hard...by design. According to the federal court ordered 'corrective statements' now published by the tobacco industry: "cigarette companies intentionally designed cigarettes with enough nicotine to create and sustain addiction". In fact, experts say that nicotine addiction is as hard to quit as heroin. In fact, a 1/6/19 CNN report (above) ranked nicotine as the third most addictive substance in the world -- behind only heroin and cocaine.
If you live in Louisiana and began a cigarette addiction prior to 9/1/88, the Smoking Cessation Trust and healthcare partners statewide want to help you quit...for FREE. Don't throw your money away at another addictive "solution" that's designed to take your money for life...QUIT. To-date more than 104,000 Louisiana smokers have taken that important step toward quitting their addiction for good.
Imagine the health and economic impact of a smoke-free Louisiana - where cigarettes take the lives of 7,200 people per year and cost the state $1.89 billion in healthcare and another $2.05 billion in lost productivity (according to the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals).
Despite the efforts of the Smoking Cessation Trust and healthcare partners throughout the state, 22.8% of Louisiana's adult population continues to smoke -- the U.S. average is now down to 14%. In fact, there are only three states in the U.S. with a higher adult smoking rate than Louisiana. The Trust and it's partners want to help Louisiana quit it's addiction to cigarettes, nicotine and Big Tobacco?by providing FREE counseling,?prescription cessation medication, nicotine replacement therapy and quit-line coaching to smokers that qualify through 2022.??
The Smoking Cessation Trust?began?enrolling members?in?April 2012. The free program to help Louisiana?smokers quit is not allowed to?advertise -- yet, thanks to referrals from family, friends and healthcare influencers?throughout Louisiana, more than?104,000?smokers are now calling it quits.
While tobacco-related diseases were taking the lives of 600 Louisiana residents per month, the Smoking Cessation Trust has averaged enrolling well over 1,000 new members per month since it launched in 2012.
Now six years into the ten-year program, the Smoking Cessation Trust has now approved?more than 104,000 membership applications.
More than a decade after first being ordered to do so by a federal court, major tobacco companies?have begun?running "corrective statement" ads on television networks and in newspapers?warning of the dangers of smoking cigarettes.
Why is helping Louisiana smokers quit important to the entire state?
Smoking doesn't just kill. It robs?smokers?of thousands of dollars and hours of precious moments every year. A recent study by WalletHub,?titled "The Real Cost Of Smoking By State", gauged the true per-person cost of smoking in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.?They calculated the potential monetary losses — including both the lifetime and annual cost of a cigarette pack per day, health care expenditures, income losses and other costs — brought on by smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.
According to the WalletHub study, if 72,000 Louisiana smokers quit, the total annual savings would equal $2,412,516,000. The annual cigarette cost per day savings for the smokers would equal $195,132,000. Annual healthcare cost savings would be $226,412,000. Imagine the economic and health impact for Louisiana if the Smoking Cessation Trust were to enroll 200,000 smokers.
In partnership with a growing list of healthcare providers throughout the state, the Smoking Cessation Trust?offers free medications, nicotine replacement therapy (gum, patches, lozenges, inhalers), group and individual counseling, and quit-line coaching to help Louisiana residents who started smoking prior to September 1, 1988 quit. All programs and services are provided at NO COST TO LOUISIANA TAXPAYERS, employers, managed care, Medicaid, Medicare, the state or the federal government. So, for many reasons, there's not a better time than right now to raise Louisiana's cigarette tax (only $1.08) to at least the U.S. average ($1.72).
Smoking Cessation Trust Healthcare Provider Partners:
Here’s a list of?Smoking Cessation Trust provider partners located throughout Louisiana:
The Smoking Cessation Trust welcomes feedback, support and referrals
The Smoking Cessation?Trust receives?referrals from healthcare providers, health advocates, health systems, health plans, independent pharmacies?and the friends and loved ones of smokers throughout Louisiana.?
"I really want to THANK YOU. June 21st will be a year that I have not smoked a cigarette, nor do I plan to ever again. I tried and failed so many times, but after registering here (on www.SmokeFreeLA.org ) and reading the 'plan to quit' material, I finally made it to my doctor's office and got my script for medication. After 31 years of smoking, I can now truly say I am a non-smoker. This plan made it easy for me to quit." -- Deneise Means, Alexandria, LA, 5/12/16
Former United States Surgeon, Dr. Regina Benjamin introduces and discusses the importance of the Smoking Cessation Trust to Louisiana residents in this video:
The Smoking Cessation Trust is the result of a court judgment in a 14-year-old class action lawsuit that ordered certain tobacco companies to fund a statewide, 10-year smoking cessation program. Because the Trust is not allowed to use a single penny on advertising or traditional marketing,?the program?relies heavily on grass roots communications efforts, community outreach, social media and media relations activity to build awareness. In fact, you can find the Smoking Cessation Trust on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter (@SmokeFreeLA).
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The only program of its kind in the United States, the Smoking Cessation Trust began enrolling members in 2012 and hopes to achieve its goal of helping 210,000 Louisianans become smoke-free by 2022.
TESTIMONIALS - Regi's Story (West Jefferson Medical Center patient):
"Regi's Story" is?one of three?heart-warming testimonial examples of a Smoking Cessation Trust success story. Regi Lester smoked cigarettes for 35 years. Almost every family photograph featured Regi with cigarette in-hand. Jules Poirier, RRT, Director of Respiratory Care at?West Jefferson Medical Center?and Smoking Cessation Trust helped Regi to quit for good. West Jefferson is one of many healthcare institutions throughout Louisiana partnering with the Trust to help smokers quit. Check out "Regi's Story":
Here are just a few of the many written testimonials submitted by members:
So far it is two months since I quit (cold turkey) and the cravings for a cigarette are getting less and less. Hooray!” – Smoking Cessation Trust member from Covington, LA, 1/2/15
We registered last year for your program, and were not motivated to quit. Ten days ago, we put patches on that we got through your program, and are on the path to becoming non-smokers. Just wanted to say thanks.” – Smoking Cessation Trust member from Baton Rouge, LA, 3/13/15
Hi! So far we are doing good! We tried the lozenges but they gave me hiccups and my husband heartburn, so when we go Thursday we will get our step 2 patch and some gum. Thank you for having this program available for citizens like us to help us quit smoking!” -- Smoking Cessation Trust member from Scott, LA, 3/8/15.
Thank you so much for helping me get out of my ugly smoking habit. I am happy to announce that I stopped smoking through your free drug assistance program since October 5, 2014, though I am still taking the last of the refills! May God bless you all. Thank you once again!” Smoking Cessation Trust member from New Orleans, LA, 12/2/14
I would just like to inform you all that as of today 11/20/2014, I have been a non-smoker for 17 months. Thank you for all the support that you’ve given me in the form of a paid prescription for welbutrin and financial/moral?support for smoking cessation programs such as the one given by Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge. Smoke?....I don’t do that anymore!!! Smoking Cessation Trust member from Baton Rouge, LA, 11/20/14
I thank you for the free medication and the program. It has helped me beat a battle that I've struggled with for years. December 2nd will be six months from my last cigarette!?Thanks again.” -- Smoking Cessation Trust member from Marrero, LA, 11/20/14
Would like to let your group know that with the help of this program my personal goal has been achieved as of last March 2013. Thank you very much for the help with the medicine.” – Smoking Cessation Trust member from Luling, LA, 11/19/14
Thanks to your program my last cigarette was December 15, 2013.?I have smoked for over fifty years and tried to quit probably fifty times.?With your program I was finally successful. Thanks.” – Smoking Cessation Trust member from Saint Martinville, LA, 11/19/14
TESTIMONIALS - Lillian's Story (Cardiovascular Institute of the South patients):
Lillian Woods?began smoking when she was 15 years old. She was 61 at the time of this film. Now, with the help of Dr. Jody Staff, Cardiovascular Institute of the South and the Smoking Cessation Trust she's on her way to quitting for good. Check out "Lillian's Story":
TESTIMONIALS - Mary's Story (Ochsner Health System patient):
Mary Part Bennett started smoking when she was 25 years old. 40 years later, with the help of Smoking Cessation Trust and Mickie Lesage, Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist at Ochsner Health System's program, she's well on her way to quitting for good. Here's "Mary's Story":
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For information or to register on line with the Smoking Cessation Trust, visit: www.SmokeFreeLA.org or call 504-529-5665 or toll free at 1-855-259-6346.
Jim Pittman serves as executive director of Orleans Parish Medical Society?(www.opms.org) and as advocate and ambassador for Louisiana's Smoking Cessation Trust (www.SmokeFreeLA.org).
CEO @ 2Morrow, Inc. | Focusing on things that matter.
8 年Love your multi-pronged approach to helping smokers quit... wish all smokers had access to this type of program.
Marketing Strategy Manager @ Blue Cross NC | Leading People, Driving Results
9 年Great work! And wishing the Smoking Cessation Trust continued success!
Senior Director of Clinical Integration and Patient Engagement at BrightSpring Health | Marketing | Product Marketing | Rx Marketing
9 年Thank you for the invitation Jim. I'm happy to be part of your group! Great work, congratulations!
Board member and investor
9 年For those of us committed to improving the health of populations, we understand the devastating impact of smoking on overall health. At Lumeris, we are also committed to the health of Louisianan's and services like this, that serve the community should be lauded. Thank you!
Dynamic Sales, Marketing & IT Professional Seeking The Next Opportunity
9 年Congrats to all the non-smokers! Now what are you going to do with all the money and taxes you save from not smoking? Go on vacation? Buy a car? Let's hear from all the non-smokers!!