Recently, a court order mandated that major U.S. tobacco companies run corrective-statement advertisements in newspapers and on television about the deadly consequences of smoking and secondhand smoke. In response, the Cumberland County Department of Public Health wants to remind residents of services that can be used to help them quit smoking.
QuitlineNC provides free cessation services to any North Carolina resident who needs help quitting tobacco use. Residents will receive personalized help from a Quit Coach. Coaches will help identify what triggers you to smoke, dip or chew; help you think of activities other than using tobacco; talk about what hasn’t worked and new things you could try; tell you about medications that can help you quit and provide helpful websites to visit.
For more information or to quit smoking, call QuitlineNC 24/7 at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or go to quitlinenc.com.
The Public Health Department also offers smoking cessation classes at various times throughout the year. Call the Health Education at 910-433-3600 for more information.
Corrective Statements Information
The ads are the culmination of a long-running lawsuit the U.S. Department of Justice filed against the tobacco companies in 1999. In 2006, a federal court ordered the tobacco companies to make these “corrective statements” after finding that they had violated civil racketeering laws and engaged in a decades-long conspiracy to deceive the American public about the health effects of smoking and how they marketed to children. The ads began running in November after 11 years of appeals by the tobacco companies.
This case and the corrective statements are timely reminders that tobacco use remains an enormous public health problem in the United States – it is the No. 1 cause of preventable disease and death. Visit
tobaccofreekids.org/ for more information.