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The INDEPENDENT, December 21, 2011
More services now available for those who wish to quit smoking
Almost 70 percent of Ore-
gon tobacco users want to quit,
and those who use the free
Oregon Tobacco Quit Line
have a better chance of break-
ing their addiction for good.
New online coaching services,
in addition to phone coaching,
make the Quit Line more con-
venient and accessible than
ever.
“We know that getting help
really works when people are
trying to quit tobacco,” said Ka-
trina Hedberg, M.D., M.P.H.,
state epidemiologist, Oregon
Health Authority’s Oregon Pub-
lic Health. “The Oregon Tobac-
co Quit Line has helped people
quit over the phone for years.
The greatly enhanced online
services provide personal sup-
port and are a convenient op-
tion for people who need easy,
anytime access, or who may
not want to talk on the phone.”
Online, people trying to quit
can receive live coaching from
trained experts with a track
record of helping people quit;
ask questions or share advice
in user forums; and set a goal
and track progress on a per-
sonal quit plan. Services are
free and available 24 hours a
day, and there is no limit on
use. Online users, as well as
phone participants, may be eli-
gible for free nicotine gum or
patches that can be sent direct-
ly to their homes.
Online counseling can be
accessed in two ways:
• People can sign up for on-
line counseling by going to
www.quitnow.net/Oregon and
registering for the online pro-
gram.
• People can also sign up by
calling 1.800.QUIT.NOW and
selecting the “chat online with a
counselor” option.
Online counseling services
are currently available in Eng-
lish only. Online counseling in
Spanish will be available next
year. Phone services are avail-
able in Spanish at 1-877-2NO-
FUME.
More online counseling is in
response to what Oregonians’
have been telling the program.
Local tobacco users who were
thinking about quitting said
having the option of either
phone or online counseling
Vernonia Middle School Honor
Roll for 2011-12 first quarter
The following students were
named to the Vernonia Middle
School academic Honor Roll
for the 2011-12 first quarter.
Principal’s Honors – Court-
ney Barklow, Emily Bergerson,
Annika Johnson, Jacob Patton,
Sheyanne Pedersen, Megan
Rice, Jocie-Ranay Roberts,
Chase Tolonen, and Payton
Wolf.
High Honors – Tristan
503-901-1705
Adams, Jacob Butcher, Hay-
den Cieloha, Brandon Clap-
shaw, Bradley Ely, Megan Ely,
Kaitlyn Eyrrick, Jessika Good-
man, Storm Henson, Ashley
Jackson, Amanda Jennings,
Brett Jones, Brendyn Mullikin,
Jacob Perry, Autumn Soren-
son, Clay Sulivan, Ian Torres-
Petersen, Mahaila Whilhelm,
Jarrett White, and Madison
Zavales.
Honors – Lily Buchanan,
Pearl Cook, Benjamin Fleck,
Nichole Gardner, Morgan Har-
ral, Jamie Scott, Paige Smith,
Sara Smith, and McKenzie
Willard.
Honorable Mention – Kara
Christie, Grace Coleman, Jar-
od Elliott, Hannah Fleck, Bre-
anna Gardner, Lauren Glass,
Casey Hathcoat, Cheyenne
Kemper, Rachele Knighton-
Hanner, Bryanna Larson,
Johnathan
Levenseller,
Cheyanna March, Ariel Masog,
Jackhenry Masog, Amanda-
Rose
Sicard,
Meagan
Schirmeister, and Jessica
Stringfield.
would make it more convenient
to access information, counsel-
ing and medications.
Smokers also emphasized
that they liked knowing that
whether by phone or Web they
were getting help from real
people who were caring and
friendly.
For the past 10 years, the
Oregon Tobacco Quit Line has
been an important and effec-
tive resource for anyone want-
ing to break addiction to tobac-
co or help someone who is
ready to quit. The Quit Line is
paid for from taxes collected on
tobacco products to promote
education and prevention of to-
bacco use and to promote to-
bacco cessation programs.
While the percentage of
adults who smoke has de-
creased by 26 percent since
the Oregon Tobacco Preven-
tion and Education Program
began – from 23.7 percent in
1996 to 17.5 percent in 2009 –
tobacco use remains the lead-
ing cause of preventable death.
Reducing tobacco use in Ore-
gon can help decrease the
number of cancer cases, heart
disease, and other health prob-
lems, which can in turn save
lives and reduce health care
costs.
“The best thing a tobacco
user can do for his or her
health is quit,” Hedberg said.
“People quit in very different,
personal ways, and they can
use the Quit Line however they
need – for coaching, or just for
information and a quit plan.”
To access the Oregon To-
bacco Quit Line visit www.quit-
now.net/Oregon or call 1.800.
QUIT.NOW (1-800-784-8669)
or 1-877-2NO-FUME (1-877-
266-3863).
Vernonia Health Board update
Though Providence Medical
is leaving Vernonia as of De-
cember 30, the Vernonia
Health Board is in the process
of working on other options to
bring medical services back to
Vernonia in early 2012.
The Health Board, which
owns the clinic building and
contracts with providers to
serve the community, has been
looking at a number of different
options for medical services to
find the right fit for Vernonia
residents.
More information should be
available in January or early
February.
Columbia County
Mental Health
Domestic Abuse
800-294-5211
-----------------
Suicide Hotline
1-800-
784-2433
503-397-6161
or
1-800-273-
TALK(8255)
Hotline
or
866-397-6161
-----------------
Military Helpline
888-HLP-4-VET
(888-457-4838)