The Kentucky Department of Public Health has launched its latest advertising campaign to encourage Kentuckians to stop using tobacco.
The campaign will feature broadcast, print and digital advertisements, along with a targeted outreach to medical providers and community engagement initiatives aimed at boosting public awareness of state's free tobacco quit line, 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669).
In addition to the ad campaign, the health department is launching a new texting service in which users can text QUITKY to 797979 to connect to the quit line. The online option is www.quitnowkentucky.org. The services are free and confidential.
“Everyone knows that giving up tobacco products is hard to do, but it is easier with counseling and assistance programs like Quit Now Kentucky,” Health Commissioner Jeffrey Howard said in a news release. “Even if you have tried to quit before and didn’t succeed, this service can help you try again – and keep trying – until you are successful."
Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in Kentucky and the nation, and Kentucky has the second highest state smoking rate, at 24.6 percent. "More than 8,000 Kentuckians die each year because of tobacco-related diseases," says the release.
The campaign, produced by a Louisville-based advertising agency Red7e, emphasizes the health and lifestyle benefits of quitting tobacco. One commercial features large turkeys out in the snow, suggesting that you don't have to quit "cold turkey." They can all be viewed at red-stash.com/QUIT/
As part of the campaign, physicians and health care professionals will receive marketing materials they can use to promote Quit Now Kentucky with their patients.
“People are often discouraged if a quit attempt isn’t successful, but we are here to tell it’s normal and that having the right supports in place is key to their success," Kerri Verden, who coordinates the state's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, said in the release. "We hope Kentuckians will join us in this campaign to spread the word about the quit line and help more individuals give up smoking or tobacco products.”
Callers to Quit Now Kentucky speak with highly trained cessation specialists who answer calls daily from 8 a.m. until 1 a.m. to help tobacco users develop a quit plan. Quit Now counseling and materials are provided to callers at no charge. Quit Line services are available in English, Spanish, and Arabic at the time of the call, and in more than 190 languages using a translation service.
For employers who want to help employees quit, information is available through the Quit Line and the local health department. Group sessions and cessation materials can be made available at worksites. Visit http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/mch/hp/tobacco.htm for information on other tobacco cessation options.
The campaign will feature broadcast, print and digital advertisements, along with a targeted outreach to medical providers and community engagement initiatives aimed at boosting public awareness of state's free tobacco quit line, 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669).
In addition to the ad campaign, the health department is launching a new texting service in which users can text QUITKY to 797979 to connect to the quit line. The online option is www.quitnowkentucky.org. The services are free and confidential.
“Everyone knows that giving up tobacco products is hard to do, but it is easier with counseling and assistance programs like Quit Now Kentucky,” Health Commissioner Jeffrey Howard said in a news release. “Even if you have tried to quit before and didn’t succeed, this service can help you try again – and keep trying – until you are successful."
Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in Kentucky and the nation, and Kentucky has the second highest state smoking rate, at 24.6 percent. "More than 8,000 Kentuckians die each year because of tobacco-related diseases," says the release.
The campaign, produced by a Louisville-based advertising agency Red7e, emphasizes the health and lifestyle benefits of quitting tobacco. One commercial features large turkeys out in the snow, suggesting that you don't have to quit "cold turkey." They can all be viewed at red-stash.com/QUIT/
As part of the campaign, physicians and health care professionals will receive marketing materials they can use to promote Quit Now Kentucky with their patients.
“People are often discouraged if a quit attempt isn’t successful, but we are here to tell it’s normal and that having the right supports in place is key to their success," Kerri Verden, who coordinates the state's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, said in the release. "We hope Kentuckians will join us in this campaign to spread the word about the quit line and help more individuals give up smoking or tobacco products.”
Callers to Quit Now Kentucky speak with highly trained cessation specialists who answer calls daily from 8 a.m. until 1 a.m. to help tobacco users develop a quit plan. Quit Now counseling and materials are provided to callers at no charge. Quit Line services are available in English, Spanish, and Arabic at the time of the call, and in more than 190 languages using a translation service.
For employers who want to help employees quit, information is available through the Quit Line and the local health department. Group sessions and cessation materials can be made available at worksites. Visit http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/mch/hp/tobacco.htm for information on other tobacco cessation options.