newjerseynewsroom.com

The Mercer County Tobacco QuitCenter is inviting all smokers to stop by for a free smoking cessation evaluation, free carbon monoxide assessment, and a free nicotine patch between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Thursday as part of the Great American Smokeout.

"We hope smokers will see the Great American Smokeout not just as one day without cigarettes, but as the beginning of a tobacco-free life. Well give them their first nicotine patch to help them get started," said Marc L. Steinberg, assistant professor of psychiatry at the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and director of the Mercer Tobacco QuitCenter. "Even those smokers who are just thinking of quitting can come in and speak with a smoking cessation counselor to learn more about using proven and effective treatments to quit smoking."

The Mercer Tobacco QuitCenter is funded by the state Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program, and is mandated to provide only treatments that are well supported by research.

"Many smokers try to quit on their own, or try quick fixes like hypnosis or acupuncture, and are unsuccessful," Steinberg said. "The data are clear that the best bet is to combine counseling with one of the seven FDA approved medications for quitting smoking. Cigarettes are the only consumer product on the market that kills up to half of its long time users when used as intended. Research shows that there are more than 700,000 smokers in New Jersey who want to quit. The Great American Smokeout can be the beginning of a healthier life for the many smokers battling this deadly addiction."

The QuitCenter is located at 222 East State St. in Trenton. More information about programs at the Mercer County Tobacco QuitCenter can be found at www.mercercountytdp.com or by calling 609-396-7707.

— TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM