Emphasizing the fact that spit tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking, staff members of Fargo Cass Public Health encourage spit-tobacco users to get help with quitting during the Great American Spit Out February 18.
In North Dakota, spit tobacco is used by 5 percent of adults and 12 percent of students in grades 9 through 12. Boys in grades 9 through 12 use spit tobacco at a rate of nearly 20 percent, and 9 percent of adult males are spit-tobacco users.
"During the Great American Spit Out, we encourage spit-tobacco users, and users of any other smokeless tobacco products, to quit for a day, with the hope they will then try to quit for good," Matter said. "The North Dakota Tobacco Quitline and North Dakota QuitNet are available to help tobacco users in their efforts to quit. Both of these free services will design a program specifically for each user and walk him or her through the process of quitting and staying quit."
Along with counseling services and support, the Quitline and QuitNet also offer free nicotine patches, gum or lozenges for those who qualify.
The Great American Spit Out is being held during "Through with Chew Week" (February 14-20). Through with Chew Week was started in 1989 by the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Inc. in an effort to decrease spit-tobacco use and to raise awareness about the dangers of using spit tobacco.
For help with quitting spit tobacco or other smokeless tobacco products, call the North Dakota Tobacco Quitline at 1.800.QUIT.NOW (1.800.784.8669) or visit North Dakota QuitNet at www.nd.quitnet.com.
