Press Release: Lose the Cigarettes, Watch the Money Add Up
Health Department Uses “Great American Smokeout” to Show What Quitting Can Buy
Burlington, Vt.; Nov. 16, 2005 – The Vermont Department of Health wants to keep dollars, not cigarettes, in the pockets of Vermonters. As part of the American Cancer Society’s 28th annual “Great American Smokeout” on November 17, the state Health Department will highlight the significant cost-savings realized by people who quit smoking.
Robert, a 51-year-old Burlington resident who smoked a pack a day since the age of 17, quit smoking a year-and-a-half ago. At about $5 a pack, he has saved approximately $1,800 a year and has used the money he saved to pursue lifelong interests, such as riding mega roller coasters and playing high-end jazz guitars.
“When I realized how much money I was saving by not smoking, I began planning trips throughout the country to seek out the biggest and best roller coasters, which has been a longtime dream of mine,” Robert said. “I’ve been able to experience the thrill from coasters in California, Nevada and Massachusetts and do more of the things I really enjoy in life.”
Music is another passion for Robert - specifically gypsy jazz, a style of music started in France in the 1920’s by the legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. After calling the Vermont Quit Line, which linked him to his local Ready Set…STOP quit coach, Robert quit and was able to use savings to buy two gypsy swing jazz guitars and regularly jams with his friends.
Other examples of how Vermonters who are now ex-smokers use their “cigarette money” range from sharing a weekly dinner and a movie night with the family to completing home improvement projects to leaving the frozen state in February to vacation on the beaches of Mexico.
“Quitting smoking can be tough – it typically takes smokers five to seven quit attempts before they quit for good – but it’s one of the healthiest lifestyle changes a person can make,” said Vermont Department of Health Commissioner Paul Jarris, MD.
To further emphasize the savings that can be generated by quitting smoking, the Vermont Department of Health is distributing fake $5 bill drink coasters and “Money Suckers” playing cards. The coasters are designed to look like folded $5 bills and feature the toll-free number for the Vermont Quit Line (1-877-YES-QUIT, or 1-877-937-7848). The “Money Suckers” cards include facts about the poisons in cigarettes and helpful tips on how to stay smoke-free.
Approximately 96,000 adult Vermonters smoke, and an estimated 750 die annually from smoking-related diseases (including heart disease and cancer). Research shows that quit counseling doubles the chances of success.
Vermonters who are interested in quitting can call the Vermont Quit Line toll-free at 1-877-YES-QUIT (877-937-7848), or contact the Ready, Set…STOP program at their local hospital. Online quit-smoking services are now available free to Vermonters at www.VermontQuitNet.com. For inspiration to quit and tips from other Vermonters, see www.tobaccostories.org.
Click here to access a Word file for the above press release.
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