Free smoking cessation resources available from the CDC

Tobacco use is still the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. Despite declining rates of tobacco use in past decades, over 34 million U.S. adults still smoked cigarettes in 2019.

Cigarette smoking alone kills more than 480,000 Americans each year. Today, 16 million Americans are living with at least one serious smoking-related disease. And, for every person who dies because of smoking, at least 30 people live with a serious smoking-related illness.

Evidence-based resources available

For the fifth consecutive year, the American Osteopathic Association is partnering with the CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers® (Tips®) campaign to distribute smoking cessation resources free of charge to physicians for use in their practices. This year, the campaign achieves a milestone: now entering its 10th year, #CDCTips has helped more than 1 million people quit smoking.

The Tips campaign was the first federally funded national tobacco education campaign. It profiles real people living with serious long-term health effects from smoking and secondhand smoke exposure. Tips also features compelling stories of the toll these smoking-related conditions have taken on family members.

Physicians can access the campaign materials for free on the healthcare provider page on CDC’s Tips campaign website. In addition to these materials, you can also find information about the Million Hearts^® Tobacco Cessation Change Package, a clinical quality improvement resource that contains actionable ideas and useful resources to help health systems and practices increase the reach and effectiveness of tobacco cessation interventions.

Seeking DO participants

The AOA is currently looking for DOs who would like to join the 10-week program, which involves using the Tips campaign materials as a prompt for smoking cessation conversations. If you’re interested in participating in this program in partnership with the AOA, please reach out to the PR@osteopathic.org inbox or contact the AOA on social media.

Campaign research

Scientific studies have shown that hard-hitting media campaigns are effective in helping people quit smoking. Study results suggest that emotionally evocative tobacco education media campaigns featuring graphic images of the health effects of smoking can increase quitline calls and website visits, both of which decrease once they are discontinued.

The Tips campaign is based on an in-depth review of literature from multiple U.S.-based campaigns and campaigns in other countries, as well as CDC’s own extensive campaign development and testing.

People who smoke said that seeing how smoking could affect their lives and impact their families would help motivate them to quit. The campaign materials do just that, and act as effective cessation conversation starters, according to Tiffany Lowe-Payne, DO, a past participant in the Tips partnership program.

Related reading:

Nixing nicotine: Free resources to help your patients quit smoking

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