Choose to be Tobacco Free

A Message from Dr. Stephen Kindred – Assistant Vice President, Corporate Medical

It has been a little over a year since State Farm’s Live Well, Be Well initiative expanded our tobacco cessation benefits through a partnership with the American Cancer Society (ACS).  As of July 1, I am proud to report more than fourteen hundred associates and their family members have made the choice to be tobacco free.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), tobacco use is one of the largest preventable causes of disease, disability and death in the United States.  Choosing to quit is an important step toward a healthier lifestyle.  To assist associates interested in quitting, State Farm has partnered with the ACS to offer the tobacco cessation Quitline®. Click here for more information.

The Quitline program is a one-to-one counseling service clinically proven to double a smoker’s chance of quitting.  The Quitline is staffed with counselors trained to mentor and coach participants in setting their quit dates, handling cravings, managing setbacks and celebrating successes along the way.

Jinna, Senior Finance Assistant at Corporate, and her husband are among those who took advantage of the enhanced tobacco cessation program.  A year ago, Jinna signed up for the program and by October she was cigarette free.

“I had tried before and quit, but my husband didn’t and a month later I started again.  And then he’d try to quit and I wouldn’t, so he would start again,” Jinna recalls.  “Then we both went on Chantix through the program with State Farm and the American Cancer Society.”

In addition to improved health, Jinna’s decision to quit has led to an equally vital benefit in her own peace of mind.  “I can go wherever I want and I don’t have to wonder, ‘How am I going to go have that cigarette?’  I can go to the movies now and not have to leave.  It’s a freedom thing,” she says.  “I’m not tied down to cigarettes now.”

Chantix is just one quit smoking method.  Additional medicines, nicotine replacement therapy options and treatment alternatives are available for retirees considering quitting.  If you are interested in making the choice to be tobacco free, I encourage you to visit your physician to determine which method is right for you.

Be Free, Be Healthy

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), each year about 443,600 people die from illnesses related to tobacco use in the U.S. alone.  Roughly half of those deaths can be attributed to cancer.  However, tobacco use also results in other illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and emphysema.

The decision to be tobacco free has major health benefits, some of which begin almost immediately.  As a physician, I have seen these results in people who already have tobacco-related disease, as well as those who don't.  Some of the advantages of quitting tobacco include, but are not limited to:

• Increased life expectancy
• Reduced  risk of lung and other cancers, heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung diseases such as emphysema and bronchitis
• Decreased risk of women having low birth-weight babies

While withdrawal can be difficult for some, the impact quitting has on your lifestyle and health should drastically outweigh any of the symptoms you may experience.

Make the Cheaper Choice

While, the cost of one pack of cigarettes may seem insignificant, the price you pay for using tobacco products really adds up over time.  Everyone knows the health risks associated with smoking.  Did you also know the associated costs of cigarette smoking are continuing to rise as well? 

Smoking one pack per day at a price of $4.50 can add up to over $1,600 over the course of an entire year.  With the introduction of The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, the federal excise tax on cigarettes increased from $0.39 to $1.01 per pack.  Simply put, smoking is becoming an increasingly expensive habit. 

Let Live Well, Be Well Help You Make Healthy Choices

Click here to learn more about State Farm’s Tobacco Cessation program and gather additional resources to help you understand this benefit.

Additional Resources

Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to learn more about the Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking.

Read this recent article provided by WebMD to see how Congress is cracking down on tobacco.

Learn more about the Federal Excise Tax Increase by visiting the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau Web site.