Media Release

For: Immediate Release
Date: April 23, 2008

NEW NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM SHOWS SMOKERS HOW TO BECOME AN EX - RI Launches Innovative Media Campaign

The Department of Health (HEALTH) announced today the local release of an unprecedented public health campaign created by an alliance of national organizations and state health agencies led by the American Legacy Foundation (Legacy), including HEALTH. The program, called EX, will change the way smokers feel about the difficult process of quitting and guide them to valuable resources to build a successful quit attempt. Not since the Fairness Doctrine was applied to tobacco in 1967 have so many public health organizations aligned to get a smoking cessation message to the public at large.

“The Rhode Island Department of Health is pleased to be a partner in this national Alliance to help smokers quit,” said Director of Health, David R. Gifford, MD, MPH.  “Joining the Alliance gives Rhode Island access to national resources that can be implemented locally.”  This week, HEALTH launched EX television and radio ads with the local 1-800-Try-To-Stop quit line number.  The ads are intriguing and humorous, and represent an entirely new approach to engaging smokers who want to quit. EX steers away from focusing solely on the reasons for quitting and instead empowers smokers to use FREE resources and methods that have been proven to increase smokers’ chances of quitting successfully.

This new public education effort will encourage the 19 percent of Rhode Island adults who smoke to approach quitting smoking as “re-learning life without cigarettes.” EX provides smokers with information that can help them prepare for a quit attempt by 1) “Re-learning” their thinking on the behavioral aspects of smoking and how different smoking triggers can be overcome with practice and preparation; 2) “Re-learning” their knowledge of addiction and how medications can increase their chances for quitting success; and 3) “Re-learning” their ideas of how support from friends and family members can play a critical role in quitting. Additionally, as a founding member, Legacy will give Rhode Island access to campaign components such as quit manual, website and localized, culturally tailored promotional materials.

EX tools were designed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic and with input from former and current smokers who have lived with this struggle, in order to provide smokers with a realistic approach based on evidence based research.  To learn more go to BecomeAnEx.org or  www.health.ri.gov where you can click on tobacco for more quit information.