Tobacco Free Florida Re-launches Its Website

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Dec. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, Tobacco Free Florida re-launched its website, www.tobaccofreeflorida.com, in time for the New Year, when many Floridians resolve to quit tobacco. The new, user-friendly website provides substantiated information to encourage tobacco users to quit and offers the tips and tools needed to quit successfully.

Seven out of 10 adult smokers report that they want to quit completely.(1) While many people have quit, more than 2.5 million Floridians, or 17.1 percent of the adult population, are current cigarette smokers despite the known dangers of smoking.(2) Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S.(3) Cigarette use results in an estimated 28,600 deaths in Florida each year.(4)

Website Features

Today's re-launch is the website's most significant transformation and upgrade since the campaign launched in 2008.

The new website provides users easy access to and information about Tobacco Free Florida's three free quit resources:

• Online: Enroll in the Web Coach®, which will help you create your own web-based quit plan that's right for you, visit https://www.quitnow.net/florida.
• Phone: Call the Florida Quitline at 1-877-U-CAN-NOW to speak with a Quit Coach who will help you assess your addiction and help you create a personalized quit plan.
• In-person: Visit the Florida Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network's website, http://ahectobacco.com, to locate your local AHEC and sign up for Quit Smoking Now group classes. 

"The website showcases the numerous negative health effects of tobacco use and the many benefits of quitting, along with information on smokeless tobacco," said Kim Berfield, Deputy Secretary for the Florida Department of Health. "The website also provides a Quit Kit with helpful tips to make quitting easier, useful suggestions on how to overcome urges, and advice on common withdrawal symptoms and how to overcome them."

In early 2012, Tobacco Free Florida will expand the website to include sections on helping others quit, a variety of tobacco-related issues in the state, information for teens, and much more.

ABOUT TOBACCO FREE FLORIDA

Tobacco Free Florida (TFF) is a statewide cessation and prevention campaign funded by Florida's tobacco settlement fund.  The program is managed by the Florida Department of Health, specifically the Bureau of Tobacco Prevention Program. 

Smokers and smokeless tobacco users interested in quitting are encouraged to call the Florida Quitline at 1-877-U-CAN-NOW to speak with a quit coach.  To learn about TFF and the state's free quit smoking resources, visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com or follow the campaign on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TobaccoFreeFlorida or Twitter at twitter.com/tobaccofreefla.

(1)  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Quitting Smoking Among Adults --- United States, 2001—2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. November 11, 2010. 60(44);1513-1519a

(2)  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010

(3)  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Tobacco Use Targeting the Nation's Leading Killer At A Glance 2010.    
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/pdf/2010/tobacco_2010.pdf

(4)  Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The Toll of Tobacco in Florida. Nov. 28, 2011. http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/facts_issues/toll_us/florida

SOURCE Tobacco Free Florida