PORTSMOUTH- The Scioto County Tobacco Cessation Coalition, under the guidance of Community Action Organization of Scioto County and Ohio Department of Health, started a new grant year in June, wrapping up the TU23 grant year with a massive improvement to local calls to the Ohio Quit Line for tobacco cessation.
The accomplished work saw an 89 percent increase in calls to the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line in the 2023 cycle, with 53 enrolled participants. The previous year only witnessed 28.
“This is a substantial rise in participants over the course of one year,” CAO Workforce Solutions and Community Development Director Luanne Valentine said. “We are proud of our coalition, which is composed of community leaders in the business and medical community, and the efforts made to increase visibility to this service.”
The quit line is a 24/7 service that offers telephone counseling to those seeking treatment for their reliance on nicotine, whether it be cigarettes, chewing tobacco, vaping products, etc. Participants are also eligible to receive nicotine replacement products, thanks to the program, which includes the individual’s choice of nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges, which is mailed directly to their door.
Callers will be screened by a professional through a series of questions. Any question may be skipped if it makes the caller feel uncomfortable. The first counseling session takes place during the initial call and there will be five additional calls, which can be scheduled or whenever a participant has time and feels comfortable to call. Participants also may call at any time they feel the need to, such as when they have a craving. Additionally, anyone may sign up for motivational texts to keep them moving forward.
“Receiving assistance for any addiction is key to recovering from the dependance on it,” Valentine said. “Having the services of the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line can be a major influence on someone’s ability to cease these destructive habits, whether it is the products that taper them off or the counseling services.”
Community Action is a major partner of Southern Ohio Medical Center, which provides local services to people wishing to quit. The organization itself also offers services to mothers and fathers wishing to quit, through the Baby and Me Tobacco Free program. That program offers counseling, financial benefits for baby products, and more.
“We offer a plethora of family services in our department and the Baby and Me Tobacco Free program is a wonderful asset that provides counseling to our local mom’s wishing to quit, and their partners, that comes with financial incentives as they continue to be clean from nicotine products,” Valentine said. “We are proud of Nurse Navigators Aurora Webb and Sharon Otworth, who provide these services to the community.”
As the Tobacco Coalition moves forward with TU24, they are looking at a greater emphasis on cessation activities and a more focused view on teen use. The group will also continue pushing people towards the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line.
“We are ecstatic with the results we had last year,” Valentine said. “We are excited to form more partnerships with local youth and to be involving them, and we are looking forward to seeing the results of the Quit Line activity once we wrap up another year.”
The quit line can be accessed by telephone at 1.800.784.8669. The service is free to any Ohioan wishing to quit smoking.
