FDA anti-cigarette campaign to focus on Wilson County's high smoking rates

The Tennessean

Anti-smoking campaign by the FDA is targeting Wilson County.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is launching a smoking prevention campaign in Wilson County, where the prevalence of smoking is higher than the national average.

The "Every Try Counts" campaign launches January in 35 markets across the country selected for their high smoking rates. It will target smokers ages 25-54 who have attempted to quit smoking in the last year but were unsuccessful.

"Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S.,” said Dr. Jerome Adams. “As Surgeon General, I believe sustained and comprehensive efforts, including the FDA’s ‘Every Try Counts’ campaign, are critical to encouraging more Americans to quit smoking and preventing the harms associated with cigarette use.”

The two-year campaign encourages smokers to quit with messages that underscore the health benefits of smoking cessation.

The messages will be featured in digital, radio and print ads, including signs and billboards at and near gas stations and convenience stores - locations that typically feature cigarette advertisements.

Smokers who want to quit can also sign up for a free text program that sends tips and offers words of encouragement, a mobile app to track smoking triggers, and trained coaches accessible by phone.

For more information, visit https://smokefree.gov/everytrycounts/ or call (877) 44U-QUIT
(7848).

Wilson County, with a smoking population of 20,824, has a "smoking index" of 116 while the national average is 100. What the index measures is how states compare to a national baseline. The higher above 100 the index reaches in a community, the higher the population of smokers live there.

More resources

The Tennessee Department of Health also operates a "Tobacco Quitline" that offers telephone free counseling to smokers seeking to quit and also runs a free online program.

Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine: 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).

Tennessee online smoking cessation program: www.tnquitline.org.