(Salt Lake City) – It doesn’t take a scientist to tell you that quitting smoking is tough. The ups and downs of beating a substance more addictive than heroin takes a mental toll on many who smoke; far too many users fall into the mindset that regardless of their efforts, they’ll never be able to quit. Eighty percent of current smokers say they want to quit, and studies show that a hopeful attitude is one of the key indicators of a person that will succeed at quitting tobacco.
That’s why the Utah Department of Health’s anti-tobacco effort is launching the new ad campaign ‘Quitting For Real’. It features TV commercials and billboards that depict real world situations as smokers become ex-smokers one day at a time. Through these ads tobacco users can learn quick tips to beat a craving and gain the self-confidence and resolve to do so.
“This campaign is meant to inspire,” says Adam Bramwell of the UDOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. “We want to reinforce that key moment when a smoker consciously makes the tough choice not to smoke, and to show the satisfaction he or she feels in making that right decision.”
The new commercials star an overworked waitress, a carpenter in his shop, and a student on his way to school, all of whom overcome triggers that could have potentially led to a relapse. Each spot focuses on a person at a different point in the quit process.
“People who see a slip up as just a brief mistake they can recover from tend to succeed in quitting,” says Bramwell. “On the other hand, if someone thinks of a single smoke, or even one drag, as a complete failure, the chance of success drops significantly. We believe these spots will resonate with tobacco users as they tackle the process of quitting one day at a time.”
For a free, personalized quit plan, call the Utah Tobacco Quit Line at 1.800.QUIT.NOW or visit www.UtahQuitNet.com. To see the ‘Quitting for Real’ campaign, visit www.YouTube.com/
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The mission of the Utah Department of Health is to protect the public’s health through preventing avoidable illness, injury, disability and premature death, assuring access to affordable, quality health care, and promoting healthy lifestyles.
