Let us Help YOU "Kick the Habit" with our Smoking Cessation Services

We are dedicated to reducing chronic diseases and preventing their costly toll. In January 2007, the Columbia City Council took a step toward improved health for everyone by making the city a smoke-free place to live.

I want to quit smoking. How can you help me ?

Call our nurses at 573.874.7356. They'll talk to you about our program, which includes a free counseling session and a free box of patches. This program is free and available to all Boone County residents.

What other resources are available to me?

• Phoenix Programs, Inc. FREE Quit Smoking Class
• 1-800-QUIT-NOW
• www.BecomeAnEx.org
• Nicotine Anonymous: 573-445-6166
• American Lung Association's online smoking cessation: www.ffsonline.org

What does smoking cost you?

At $4.14 per pack, if you smoke one pack of cigarettes a day, that's over $125 a month. In one year, you've spent almost $1600 on cigarettes. That's enough to go on a vacation or buy a new TV! If you continue that "pack a day" habit for 25 years, you will spend over $38,000 buying cigarettes.

What happens to my body when I stop smoking?

• Within 20 minutes your blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal levels.
• With eight hours the oxygen in your blood rises to a normal level.
• Within three days breathing becomes easier.
• From two weeks to three months, your circulation improves and you will have more energy.

Return to the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services Homepage