Creating a Tobacco-Free Environment For All Residents
And Visitors of Orange County!
And Visitors of Orange County!
The Quitline is a toll-free, telephone-based tobacco cessation service. The Quitline is available to anyone living in Florida who wants help with quitting. Numerous services are available through the Quitline including:
- Counseling sessions
- Self-help materials
- Counseling and materials in English and Spanish
- Translation service for other languages
- Free nicotine replacement therapy while supplies last
- TDD service for the hearing impaired
What to Expect
When you call the Florida Quitline, you will speak with a counselor who is specially trained to help you quit. Your counselor will ask you questions about your tobacco use habits including common triggers, quantity smoked or chewed, and motivating factors to quit. Your counselor will help you to decide on a quit date and prepare you for what you might encounter once you stop using tobacco. You will also be provided with information on how to avoid a relapse and free nicotine replacement therapy to help curb cravings.
Call 1-877-U-CAN-NOW or visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com to get started. Freedom is within reach.
Call 1-877-U-CAN-NOW or visit www.tobaccofreeflorida.com to get started. Freedom is within reach.
5 Key Steps for Quitting
Get ready - Set a quit date.
Get support - From family, friends, and your healthcare provider. Also, get individual,
group, or telephone counseling.
group, or telephone counseling.
Learn new skills and behaviors
- change your routine.
- change your routine.
Get medication and/or nicotine replacement therapy and use
them correctly.
them correctly.
Be prepared for relapses or difficult situations - know your triggers.
If you would prefer face-to-face counseling, there are free classes going on throughout the county facilitated by our Area Health Education Center. The class meets once a week for 6 weeks. It is designed by ex-smokers for those hoping to become ex-smokers. For more information about classes in your area, call the AHEC Tobacco Referral Line at 1-877-252-6094.
Remember…it’s never too late to quit!
Changes When You Quit
- Immediately – Air around you is no longer dangerous to children and other adults.
- 20 minutes – Blood pressure drops to normal, pulse rate drops to normal, and temperature in hands and feet increase to normal.
- 8 hours – Carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal and oxygen level in the blood increases to normal.
- 48 hours – Nerve endings start regrowing and the ability to smell and taste is enhanced.
- 2-12 weeks – Circulation improves, breathing improves, and walking becomes easier.
- 1-9 months – Coughing and sinus congestion decreases, shortness of breath decreases, overall energy increases, and lungs increase their ability to self-clean and reduce infection.
- 1 year – Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.
- 5 years – Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker and the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, and esophagus is half that of a smoker.
- 10 years – Life expectancy is comparable to a nonsmoker, lung cancer death rate is about half the rate of a smoker, risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas increases, and precancerous cells are replaced.
- 15 years – Risk of coronary heart disease is comparable to that of a nonsmoker.
The sooner you quit, the sooner the healing will begin!
