St. Joseph’s Health Raises Awareness of The Great American Smokeout

SYRACUSE, N.Y.—  A national movement geared toward helping smokers kick the habit is just a few weeks away. The Great American Smokeout is Thursday, Nov. 21. It’s the opportunity for smokers to take their first steps on a smoke-free journey, with the support they need.

“Kicking the smoking habit is not easy. People will be more successful if they have a support system,” said Kristen Richardson, RN, CTTS, Director of the CNY Regional Center for Tobacco Health Systems at St. Joseph’s Health and Director, Tobacco Free Communities Delaware, Otsego & Schoharie. “By joining the Great American Smokeout, every smoker will be taking the first step along with thousands of other people across the country.”

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), about 34-million American adults still smoke cigarettes, and smoking tobacco products is the number one preventable cause of death and illness in the world, killing one in five people. ACS also says populations that experience inequities in several areas of their lives (e.g., lower socioeconomic class, Black/American Indian/Alaska native/LGBTQ communities, military, behavioral health conditions) tend to smoke more heavily or at higher rates and suffer disproportionately from smoking-related cancer and other diseases.

The benefits of quitting smoking start immediately and get better as time goes on.

“At St. Joseph’s Health, we encourage all our smoking patients to try to stop, regardless of their age or how long they’ve been smoking,” said Richardson. “And we offer resources and programs to help them reach their goals.”

The use of approved stop smoking medications at least doubles a tobacco user’s chances of successfully quitting, and all these medications, including the patch, gum and lozenges, are covered by New York State Medicaid plans. Additionally, individual and group cessation counseling is a covered benefit for New York State Medicaid enrollees. A doctor can figure out next steps and prescribe the medications most likely to help their patient make a successful quit attempt.

Click to learn more about the Central New York Regional Center for Tobacco Health Systems. For a free personalized quit plan, contact the New York State Smokers’ Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS or www.nysmokefree.com. And if you would like The Great American Smokeout materials to post in your workplace, health system or other places in your community, the American Cancer Society offers these event resources.

 

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About St. Joseph’s Health
St. Joseph’s Health, a non-profit health care system in Syracuse, New York, has been a trailblazer in the field since 1869 when it became the city’s first public hospital. Its commitment to exceptional care is evident in a network of acute, ambulatory, primary and specialty care services and partner care facilities providing a range of services to promote long-term health in the communities we serve. St. Joseph’s has been ranked by Consumer Reports among the top 15 heart surgery centers in the country, is a designated Primary Stroke Center, and is consistently named a Best Regional Hospital and #1 in the Syracuse Metro area by US News and World Report. St. Joseph’s Health is dedicated to excellence, innovation and compassionate patient care. From pioneering ambulance services in Syracuse to being the first in Central New York to use DaVinci robotic surgery technology in an outpatient facility,  St. Joseph’s legacy of firsts demonstrates its ongoing commitment to leading medical advancements. Affiliated with St. Joseph’s Physicians and a member of Trinity Health, St. Joseph’s Health is your trusted partner in health, combining a rich history with a forward-thinking approach to ensure the health and well-being of our communities.

 

About Trinity Health

Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, Catholic health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 121,000 colleagues and nearly 36,500 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 27 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 101 hospitals, 126 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 136 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. Based in Livonia, Michigan, its annual operating revenue in FY2023 was $21.6 billion with $1.5 billion returned to its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs.