Health Tools and Resources

Tobacco can effect your and other's health in many ways. Increase your knowledge and understanding of the harmful effects of tobacco through the information provided and explore the benefits of being tobacco free.

Eye Opening Statistics

Facts About Smoking and Tobacco

Physical Benefits of Quitting

Secondhand Smoke

Smokeless Tobacco

Assessments

Olin Health Center's Smoker's Self Test

Quit successfully and for good by following the guidelines provided in this section. Find the best methods and strategies for you.

Looking for good reasons to quit? Learn about the benefits and reasons for having a tobacco free life. See how much money you could save.

Most common questions asked when quitting. 123-Quit Smoking also highlights the most frequently asked questions when quitting smoking.

Explore these quitting steps to help plan for success! Explore the Surgeon General's "You Can Quit Smoking" consumer guide to learn how you can improve your chances of quitting and staying smoke free. 123-Quit Smoking has a series of 11 steps to facilitate your quitting success.

Quitnet.com is a top notch web site that assists you with creating a quit plan, ask questions online and get support and learn from their science-based quitting guides.

Potential Methods For Quitting:

Cold Turkey - quitting without any outside help
Nicotine Replacement Therapy- patch, gum, nasal spray, inhalers and lozenge
Bupropion(aka Zyban or Wellbutrin SR)
Varenicline (aka Chantix)
Outside Support- cessation classes, telephone hotlines, web site cessation programs, support groups
Alternative Methods- hypnosis, acupuncture and herbal remedies
Learn more about these methods and medications!

Staying tobacco free - how to handle withdrawal and relapses.

There is free help available locally for those who decide to quit tobacco. You don’t have to quit alone. Support and options are available.

July Sessions:
Monday, July 7
Tuesday, July 8
Wednesday, July 9
Thursday, July 10
When: 4:00pm-6:00pm or 6:30pm-8:30pm
Where: Saint Alphonsus Medical Group Building
211 W. Iowa Ave. Turn at Iowa and 12th Ave. Road (behind Blimpies) in Nampa
Fee: None
Registration: Contact Nancy Casperson, RN at 342-0308.

Local Tobacco Cessation Classes

Coordinated by Central District Health Department.  Funded by Idaho Tobacco Millennium Funds.

Most classes meet five times and cover the following topics:
* Nicotine addiction and habit
* Consequences of tobacco use
* Information and tips on how to quit
* Dealing with withdrawal symptoms
* Managing stress through relaxation techniques
* Avoiding weight gain
* How to become a non-tobacco user for good!

Class Contact Information

Boise Classes
Quit and Live
Nancy Caspersen 342-0308
www.quitandlive.net

Central District Health
Information: 381-3491

St. Luke's Regional Medical Center
Register: 381-1200
Information: 381-3491

Youth Tobacco Classes
Michelle Wright 938-9380

McCall
McCall Memorial Hospital
Judy Ray 634-4061 x180

Mountain Home Classes for Youth
Anne Bush 587-4623

Funded by the Idaho Tobacco Prevention and Control Program at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. No tax dollars are involved.

Idaho QuitLine
1-800-Quit-Now (1-800-784-8669)
Help to quit smoking is now just a phone call away.  The Idaho QuitLine is a free telephone counseling service designed to help smokers quit. This confidential service connects tobacco users with trained counselors who guide and support them through the process of becoming tobacco-free.

When to Call
1-800-Quit-Now
Counselors are available: Monday-Friday, 7:00am-9:00pm; Saturday and Sunday, 8:00am-4:30pm
24-Hour Voice Mail

What to Expect
When you call the Idaho QuitLine, you’ll receive:

* Up to five counseling sessions with trained cessation counselors
* Printed education materials
* Information about medications that can help you quit

All services are available in English, Spanish and for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community
TTY 1-888-229-2182

The Idaho QuitNet
The Idaho QuitNet is a free internet service that can help you quit smoking.  It offers expert advice on quitting, online support from other smokers who are trying to quit and information about medications that may make quitting easier.  QuitNet is available 24 hours a day.

General Policy

Addendum to General Policy:
The approved policy provides for the designation of “smoke-free-entrances” to permanent campus buildings. The intent of this policy is to provide a smoke-free environment at the primary accessible entrance to campus buildings. Smoking is prohibited within 30 feet of smoke-free entrances. In support of this effort, Facilities Operations & Maintenance has moved or provided cigarette receptacles 30 feet from the smoke-free entrances.

Tobacco Use Among Boise State Students

Campus Health Action on Tobacco (CHAT)
CHAT is a college-based study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Their goal is to assess if a comprehensive tobacco control intervention that includes establishment and enforcement of campus restrictive smoking policies and accessible smoking cessation assistance, will reduce smoking among college students.

Spring 2003 Boise State participated in the baseline survey and preliminary results are available. May of 2003 Boise State was informed the institution was randomized into the delayed verse the intervention group. This means Boise State will be used to assess the effect and success of the interventions portion of the study to the intervention group. In 2005, all colleges in the delayed group will receive materials, handbooks and technical assistance in implementing the "best practices" of the intervention.

Idaho Behavior Risk Factors Surveillance System Browse for the latest stats regarding tobacco use in Idaho. For youth tobacco use stats, check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data for Idaho.

Idaho Health and Safety Assessment - Explore what factors are contributing to disease and death in Idaho.

SAMMEC - Smoking Attributable Mortality, Morbidity and Economic Costs. SAMMEC is an online application created by the CDC that allows you to estimate the health and health-related economic consequences of smoking to adults and infants.

Coalition for Healthy Idaho is a group of organizations and individuals that work together to decrease the impact of tobacco on the health of Idahoans by: reducing exposure to secondhand smoke through local initiatives to improve clean indoor air; continuing to educate the public and policymakers on the importance of a Comprehensive Tobacco Prevention and Control Program; and providing guidance and information on policy and systems changes in relation to tobacco control and prevention.

Tobacco Free Idaho Alliance - The mission of the Tobacco Free Idaho Alliance (TFIA) is to form collaborative partnerships with statewide, community-based agencies dedicated to promoting health and preventing disease, by reducing tobacco use in Idaho. This vision is accomplished by building strong local coalitions, developing public policies that support our goals, and by synergizing state tobacco control activities. Looking to become involved? Contact Ferd Schlapper at fschlapp@boisestate.edu or 426-2770.

The Idaho Regional Alcohol Drug Awareness Resource (RADAR) Network Center is an information clearinghouse and resource referral service. The Center, located in the Health & Wellness Center at Boise State, provides continually updated substance abuse information, educational programs and multiple complimentary copies of printed materials in English and Spanish. Videos and posters are also available. Phone: 208-426-3471.

Are you thinking about quitting smoking but not sure you're ready to take the plunge? Maybe the Great American Smokeout is for you. It's an opportunity to join with millions of other smokers in saying "no thanks" to cigarettes for 24 hours. This national event traditionally takes place on the third Thursday in November.

Great American Smoke Out 2005

Great American Smoke Out 2004

Great American Smokeout 2003

American Council on Science and Health contains press releases, publications, editorials, priority articles and off link sites that provide information on tobacco and other health issues.

Action on Smoking and Health was designed for those concerned about smoking and nonsmokers' rights. Find everything from quitting smoking to smoking statistics.

American Heart Association offers current research along with great educational material to help reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

American Legacy Foundation collaborates with national, state and local organizations through grant awards, research initiatives, marketing efforts and training programs in an effort to reduce tobacco use in the United States. Legacy’s work to reduce tobacco use among young people includes a major national tobacco youth prevention and education effort known as the Truth campaign.

The American Lung Association (ALA) is one of the oldest voluntary health organizations in the United States, with a national office and affiliate associations around the country. Founded in 1904 to fight tuberculosis, ALA today fights lung disease in all its forms through education and research, with special emphasis on asthma, tobacco control and environmental health.

Americans for Nonsmoker's Rights is the only national lobbying organization dedicated to nonsmokers’ rights.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) includes Surgeon General reports, publication catalog for ordering educational materials, public access to the tobacco industry’s documents and much more! The CDC is recognized as the leading federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions and promoting health.

Chewfree.com is a free smokeless tobacco quitting program on-line.

Environmental Protection Agency offers straight forward information regarding tobacco. Type “tobacco” into their search engine.

Idaho Quit Net is sponsored by Idaho Health and Welfare. This interactive site is free to all Idahoans and includes a calculator to figure out how much smoking costs you, chat rooms, quitting resources and expert support from professional counselors.

Join Together Online has a wide variety of research articles and information on substance abuse and gun violence. One highlight is Join the Discussion, in which visitors can ask questions, share their insights and explore issues.

National Cancer Institute supports research, training, health information dissemination and other programs. This program is in reference to respect the cause, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer.

Office of the Surgeon General offers the latest tobacco information and techniques for treating tobacco use and dependence.

Project Filter is a program developed by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare that works to create a state free from tobacco-related death and disease.

Quit Tobacco presents the best quitting practices and support to stay tobacco free. The site has based their content on Group Health Cooperative insurance's highly successful Free & Clear Smoking Cessation Program.

Tobacco Free Kids has excellent fact sheets encompassing tobacco as a whole. Explore information regarding the Master Settlement Agreement and state, federal and global tobacco free initiatives. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is fighting to free America's youth from tobacco and create a healthier environment. The Campaign is one of the nation's largest non-governmental initiatives ever launched to protect children from tobacco addiction and exposure to secondhand smoke.

Tobacco.org has the latest and best tobacco news and information. Researching for a paper or report? Search the tobacco news archives!

Tobacco Scam includes information on how “Big Tobacco” uses and abuses the restaurant industry. Contains ventilation and secondhand smoke information, as well as discusses the economics behind going tobacco free in the restaurant industry.

Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium (TTAC) is a comprehensive, tobacco informational resource that also provides best programming practices and training support. TTAC's College Tobacco Prevention Resource site has practical information, ideas and guidance to college leaders as they plan, implement and evaluate campus tobacco policies and programs.