The Great American Smoke Out

by Maj. Lisa Tauai
Health Promotion Flight commander


November is the Air Force’s Quit Tobacco Use Month and is a perfect time to begin the first steps toward kicking the tobacco habit.

Although kicking the tobacco habit may seem easier said than done, a variety of tools exist to help you successfully reach this monumental goal. The Ramstein Health and Wellness Center offers several programs and services to assist our ID cardholders along the way. For program details, call the HAWC at 480-4292.   

American Cancer Society’s Freshstart Tobacco Cessation Program: 

This six-series program is offered on a monthly basis and includes a medical, behavior health, nutrition and fitness, and medication component that arms our participants for tobacco cessation success. Members enrolled in DEERS have the option of beginning medications such as the nicotine patch, Zyban or Chantix. The specific medication, as needed, will be determined through the member’s provider or pharmacist.  

Toll-free Tobacco Quit Line:  
If members prefer to obtain assistance via telephone by trained counselors, a toll-free tobacco quit line exists. The information concerning how to dial in DSN and through a personal phone line can be found under the Tobacco Cessation portion of the Ramstein HAWC Web site at https://sg2.usafe.af.mil/RamsteinHAWC.
Due to time zone differences, live counselors are only available from approximately 3 to 10:30 p.m. Central European Time.  The live counselors will discuss a quit plan, tobacco triggers and ideas when faced with those triggers that often result in a tobacco relapse. 

A LiveHelp Online Chat option is available around the clock and provides an opportunity to confidentially chat with an information specialist from the National Cancer Institute. 

For more information on the toll-free quit line and online chat services, visit www.Smokefree.gov.  

Tobacco cessation tools/information:  
As part of the Department of Defense tobacco free campaign, “Make Everyone Proud,” a tremendous campaign Web site tool exists to assist tobacco users and can be accessed at www.ucanquit2.org.

In an effort to effectively spread tobacco cessation awareness, check out the information booths displayed throughout the KMC during the month of November or call the Ramstein HAWC for additional information.