Press Room
VIRTUAL COMMUNITY LAUNCHED FOR SMOKERS DETERMINED TO QUIT IN 2008
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania—January 2, 2008—As the New Year starts, Secretary of Health Dr. Calvin B. Johnson today launched DeterminedToQuit.com, an online community to support smokers who are trying to quit.
"DeterminedToQuit.com is an exciting new support tool to help Pennsylvania's nearly two million smokers who truly are determined to quit their tobacco habit for the last time," said Dr. Johnson. "Success rates double for smokers who have the right support during their quit attempt."
"DeterminedToQuit.com is an innovative and comprehensive Web site designed to help people quit, and quit successfully. The site features a Quit Companion that allows users to update and monitor their quit attempts and smoking lapses, schedule reminder messages to be delivered to their mobile phones automatically and invite their family and friends to send messages of encouragement. Several current smokers from throughout Pennsylvania will also post video blogs of their quit attempts.
More than half of all Pennsylvania smokers attempted to quit for at least one day in 2007. However it takes many smokers more than one quit attempt before they are able to quit tobacco permanently.
For more information about quitting tobacco, visit DeterminedToQuit.com or call the Pennsylvania Quit Line toll-free at 1-800-QUIT-NOW to speak to a live quit coach. Information on the Department of Health's other tobacco programs can be found at www.health.state.pa.us or by calling 1-877-PA-HEALTH.
Smoking Fact
Of the 45.1 million adults who were smokers in 2005, an estimated 70 percent said they wanted to quit smoking.
