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TRICARE Recognizes the Great American Smokeout
November 16, 2010
No. 10-90
Source: http://www.tricare.mil/
FALLS CHURCH, Va. – In recognition of the Great American Smokeout, TRICARE encourages beneficiaries around the world who smoke to stop for 24 hours, hoping their decision to quit for one day will cause them to quit forever.
The Great American Smokeout, also known as GASO, is an annual event held on the third Thursday of November in the United States promoting local and nationwide activities that focus on the benefits of not smoking.
“Everyday our military men and women train hard so they are well prepared when duty calls,” said U.S. Public Health Service Cmdr. Aileen Buckler, M.D., chair of the Department of Defense (DoD) Alcohol and Tobacco Advisory Committee. “Now we are urging them to prepare for another important mission, the Great American Smokeout. It’s the perfect opportunity to help smokers begin the process of quitting, and work toward becoming tobacco free, once and for all.”
It is no secret that the number one risk factor for lung cancer is smoking tobacco products. More people die from lung cancer than any other type of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the DoD 2008 Health Related Behaviors Survey, across all services, 24 percent of current smokers surveyed planned to quit in the following month, and 38 percent planned to quit in the following six months. Since 2002, when cigarette use was 34 percent there has been a slight decline in usage to 31 percent in 2008.
Tobacco use has long been a concern of the U.S. military and TRICARE has several resources available to beneficiaries, including toll-free smoking help lines. Toll-free phone numbers are available in each TRICARE region (North: 1-866-459-8766, South: 1-877-414-9949, West: 1-866-244-6870) offering support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Beneficiaries who want to participate in GASO can also find support through DoD’s tobacco cessation campaign website (
www.ucanquit2.org). The award-winning website has all the tools and support needed to help service members and their families quit smoking. There is a special GASO section, featuring an online pledge for service members to publicly announce their intent to stop smoking for the day.
The website also features Train2Quit, a new online support system using interactive components such as quit tools, self-assessment questionnaires, quizzes and other activities. Beneficiaries can create a customizable quit plan with a calendar to track progress and learn how to beat cravings, overcome weight gain and cope with the effects of nicotine withdrawal. There’s also a savings calculator that provides motivation by showing how much extra cash is saved over time if they quit smoking.
“Using TRICARE’s toll-free smoking help lines and the resources on the comprehensive UCanQuit2 website are great ways to prepare for the Great American Smokeout and help ensure a successful smoke-free operation,” Buckler said.
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The TRICARE Management Activity administers the worldwide health care plan for 9.6 million eligible beneficiaries of the uniformed services, retirees and their families.
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