Smokeless isn’t harmless, yet 6% of North Dakota adults still use smokeless tobacco. City-County Health District (CCHD) invites North Dakotans wanting to quit smokeless tobacco to set a quit date during Through With Chew Week Feb.19-25.
Part of Through With Chew Week includes The Great American Spit Out on Feb. 23, which encourages users to quit tobacco products for at least 24 hours.
“For some, using dip, snus, or chew is a part of the North Dakota outdoor way of life and it can be incredibly difficult to quit because of the constant temptations in their surroundings,” said Kaitlen Lee, Registered Nurse and Tobacco Treatment Specialist from CCHD. “There are alternatives when temptations creep in. Let City-County Health District help you work through how to avoid temptations.”
The most effective way to quit tobacco is to make a quit plan. CCHD assists those wanting to quit tobacco by providing educational materials and tobacco cessation resources. In addition, the statewide tobacco cessation program, NDQuits, offers free support and coaching through phone and web programs.
Kaitlen Lee, registered nurse is a tobacco treatment specialist (TTS), at CCHD. She receives specialized training about tobacco-related health conditions, cessation medications, and behavioral counseling. Through behavioral counseling, Lee helps you develop a quit plan that breaks routines to avoid triggers and prepare for cravings to make your quit attempt more successful. Lee can recommend cessation medications to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Receiving counseling and using cessation medications more than double your rate of success.
For help with quitting smokeless tobacco, visit https://www.health.nd.gov/ndquits or contact Kaitlen Lee at 845-8518.
