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Health department to host smoking cessation program

November 28, 2007|Katheran Wasson

The Clark County Health Department will kick off another round of its Cooper/Clayton smoking cessation program on Jan. 8, and participants can receive a full reimbursement for nicotine replacement products they purchase.Funded by the Clark County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy, the reimbursement will apply to nicotine patches, gum and losenges bought through the Clark County Health Department.

The comprehensive, science-based Cooper/Clayton program covers topics including addiction, nutrition, physical activity, depression, stress and anxiety, said Amy LaCount, tobacco prevention and cessation specialist for the health department.

"I think if you ask most smokers if they want to quit, they would probably say 'no,'" she said. "But if you ask them if they need to quit, they would probably say 'yes,' because most people now know that smoking is dangerous."

The Clark County Health Department funds the Cooper/Clayton program locally, and classes and materials are free to community members. Participants in the 13-week program must graduate before they will receive a check for nicotine replacement items purchased. The health department sells a week's worth of nicotine patches for $21, LaCount said.

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"If they buy it from us, they only have to buy what they need for one week," LaCount said.

Clark County's smoking rate of 32.9 percent is higher than the state average. Kentucky's adult smoking rate is the highest in the nation, with 28.5 percent lighting up.

"Typically most people start smoking as teens, and they grow up with cigarettes," she said. "We talk about how to deal with stress without cigarettes, how to deal with any type of situation."

LaCount said the program allows participants to meet other people going through the same quitting process, and it helps them find long-term support.

For more information about the Cooper/Clayton smoking cessation program or to register, call LaCount or Cara Palmer at 744-4482 or visit the health department's Web site at www.clarkhealthdept.org.

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