Posted on 07/01/2005 4:17:05 AM PDT by SheLion
Calling the State's Tobacco Quit Line Can Double the Chances of Quitting Successfully
OLYMPIA, Wash., June 30 -
Starting July 1, the tax on a pack of cigarettes in our state is going up 60 cents; that means the price of a carton of cigarettes will increase by $6. With the increase, a carton of a national brand will now be as high as $50 to $65; that's another powerful incentive to quit smoking.
The state Department of Health has a free service to help people kick the habit. The state Tobacco Quit Line has helped thousands of people quit smoking with confidential services that include counseling, an individually-tailored quit plan, and quit-support kits. Research shows that calling the quit line can double the chances of quitting successfully.
"More than 50,000 Washington smokers have received help from the quit line," said Secretary of Health Mary Selecky. "This Independence Day weekend, we encourage people to call the quit line and take a step towards independence from tobacco. It will be good for their health and their pocketbook.
Quitting tobacco lowers the risk of numerous health problems, including heart disease, stroke, emphysema and many kinds of cancer, such as lung, throat and cervical. The body begins a series of positive health changes as quickly as 20 minutes after a smoker quits, starting with a drop in heart rate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between two weeks to three months after quitting, heart attack risk drops and lung function begins to improve. Five years after quitting, the risk for stroke is significantly lowered; and after 10 years, the lung cancer death rate is half that of a smoker's.
The Washington Tobacco Quit Line is funded by the state Department of Health. It offers help from professional cessation specialists who provide private counseling, advice on designing an individual quit plan, skills to break tobacco habits, and information about products and medications that may aid the quit process.
The quit line is open from Monday through Sunday, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cessation support is also available in Spanish at 877-2 NO FUME (877-266-3863). The quit line will not be open on the Fourth of July, but residents can leave a message and their call will be returned by a cessation specialist.
People can also visit http://www.quitline.com. The Web site has a sample quit line call, true stories from people who have quit smoking, and details about what people can expect when they call the quit line for help.
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the nation. Tobacco-related diseases kill about 8,000 people every year in Washington -- more than AIDS, alcohol, drug abuse, car crashes, murders, suicides and fires combined.
Visit the Washington Department of Health Web site at http://www.doh.wa.gov for a healthy dose of information.]'
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If anyone believes this, I have a town in Canada I will sell you!
The Washington Tobacco Quit Line is funded by the state Department of Health
When the Tobacco Settlement was born, Maine Board Of Health created the Partnership to a Tobacco Free Maine.
Just like the Wash Quit Line is being funded by the state Department of Heath...........guess who is paying their cushy paychecks? THE SMOKERS who pay taxes on cigarettes!!!!!!!! Your money is going to pay for that personal abuse!! Not Bg Tobacco and not the state government/ But the SMOKERS
Oh yes, I foget..........it's for the KIDDIES! heh!
Washington State Smokers:
A public yahoo group for anyone who wants to talk about the Washington ban situation.
Check out what Washington smokers already contribute to their state economy with the taxes on cigarettes:
Believe me, they will. Smokers are not sheeple! It's the American Way to shop cheap, and if the state lawmakers think that their state smokers will just bow down and pay this, they are living in another world.
I'd love nothing better then to see their cigarette tax revenue dwindle down to nothing.
Well, here is one alternative:
Can't stand the high taxes?
Afraid to order off of the Internet?
Then start rolling your own!!!
I roll out a beautiful carton for a little under $8 dollars. Premiums in my state are now up to $45-$50 a carton. Can you imagine the money I have saved over the past 4 years since I now roll my own? It's mind boggling.
under $50.00
$5.75 a bag
$1.99 for 200 filtered tubes
and
Maybe I'm missing something but raising taxes on any item becomes cost prohibitive beyond a certain point. Consequently less people will buy that item ( in this case cigarettes). The result will be less taxes collected. It's a self defeating purpose.
If they spent half the time trying to keep queers out of each others butts as they do trying to get smokers to quit there wouldnt be any AIDS.
once again, liberals think more taxes=less spending...but not the reverse.
Oh, you haven't missed anything, they just haven't hit that point yet with cigarettes. Smokers seem able to absorb a good amount of increases so the criminal class will continue raising these taxes.
You aren't missing anything. It's the LAWMAKERS that are missing everything.
They think that cigarette taxes will over flow their state coffers. Well, guess what? This tax increase is just going to force smokers to go over the borders; buy from the Internet or by rolling their own.
The lawmakers can't balance the budget with raising taxes on 25-30% of their state smokers, so what if all smokers went else where for cigarettes? WHO would the lawmaker go after THEN to make up for the loss.
The talk out of both sides of their lying mouths!
Cigarettes in Mexico are really, really cheap. (Especially in case lots.) Sounds like a golden opportunity for the black market and the illegal alien underground railroad. Thanks to this Progressive legislation new Kennedy families are being bankrolled even as we speak.
Cigarettes in Mexico are really, really cheap. (Especially in case lots.) Sounds like a golden opportunity for the black market and the illegal alien underground railroad. Thanks to this Progressive legislation new Kennedy families are being bankrolled even as we speak.
Mexican cigarettes? Are you talking Mexican cigarettes or the US cigarettes SOLD in Mexico?
I know that I am 10 minutes from the Canadian border, and what with our money exchange, I could buy cigarettes from Canada a lot cheaper. BUT! Canada cigarettes taste horrible. I would never waste my money on them. :)
Mornin, lady!
More like an incentive to buy out of state, online, or on the black market.
I firmly believe that the government is more addicted to tobacco money than smokers are to nicotine.
I honestly would like to see a grassroots effort among nicotine-nazi's in some state to get the sale and use of cigarettes banned in some state. And then watch them bitch when their taxes are jacked up big time to make up the difference.
SheLion, I've been reading the information you post about rolling your own -- I'm ready to give it a try.
Ain't THAT the truth! Can you see how stupid this war on the smokers is? As IF the lawmakers have nothing else to worry about. Heh!
Oh Zod! Just as many RINO's in office are doing the same thing. It's totally disgusting.
And you would think they would worry about stepping on their constituents toes, but they could care less!
HEY there!
Do it! I started last Christmas and haven't regretted it. I'm even growing my own (I just started, though).
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