Freedom From Smoking

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Why offer a smoking cessation program?

  • Cigarette smoking costs the economy over $193 billion in annual healthcare costs and lost productivity
  • Employers can save an estimated $3,400 per year for every individual who quits smoking.
  • About 46 million people (21% of the U.S. population) smoke cigarettes even though 74% of adult smokers in the U.S. report that they want to quit.

Why choose Freedom From Smoking®?

  • Unmatched flexibility
    • No other program offers in-person clinics, online and phone options, and self-help interventions and lets you tailor a program to the unique needs of your organization.
  • A history of helping people quit
    • The program comes from the American Lung Association — the leader in lung health. For the past 30 years, Freedom From Smoking® has been the clear choice for employers, hospitals and health plans.
  • A systematic approach to quitting
    • By helping smokers develop a plan of action leading to quit day and providing the support they need to remain smokefree, the program maximizes chances of success.
  • A scientific behavior-based methodology
    • Based on the latest addiction and behavior change models, the program addresses the difficulties of quitting with a sensitive, supportive style.
  • Current practice standards of leading health organizations -
    • Conforms to the smoking cessation counseling or advice core measure of the Joint Commission
    • Clinic program meets criteria for intensive tobacco cessation counseling covered by the latest Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services’ (CMS) decision
    • Includes all components of an intensive intervention as outlined by the United States Department of Health and Human Service
  • Proven results
    • Ranked most effective smoking cessation program in a study of 100 managed care organizations conducted by Fordham University Graduate School of Business
    • Generates higher quit rates than for people who try to quit on their own; 25% of participants report not smoking one year after the program ends, while only 5% of people who quit cold turkey remain  non-smokers after one year
    • When the program is used in combination with smoking cessation medications, up to 60% of participants report having quit by the end  of the program

For more information please contact:

Cheryl Mcdonald
Lung Health Manager
cmcdonald@lungmtpacific.org
509.484.0374