Bedford, NH – Yesterday, an unprecedented new public health campaign created by an alliance of national organizations and state health agencies, including the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, was launched in Washington, DC.

The campaign, called EX®, aims to change the way smokers think about the difficult process of quitting, and to guide them to valuable free resources to build a successful quit attempt. Not since 1968-1970 have so many public health organizations aligned to get a smoking cessation message to the public at large.

Former US Surgeon General and New Hampshire resident, C. Everett Koop is a supporter of the campaign and had a speaking role in the Washington, D.C. campaign roll out. “Today we muster the will to act…by bringing messages to smokers and showing them how to break down the glue that holds each cigarette to its trigger,” Koop said.

This new public education effort will encourage smokers to approach quitting smoking as “re-learning life without cigarettes.” EX® provides smokers with information that can help them prepare for a quit attempt by 1) “Re-learning” their thinking on the behavioral aspects of smoking and how different smoking triggers can be overcome with practice and preparation;

2) “Re-learning” their knowledge of addiction and how medications can increase their chances for quitting success; and 3) “Re-learning” their ideas of how support from friends and family members can play a critical role in quitting.

            “We are very pleased to be one of the first states that have signed onto this campaign for many reasons, most notably this campaign addresses not only the addiction piece of smoking, but also the often overlooked behavioral piece,” said Mary Ann Cooney, Director of the NH DHHS Division of Public Health Services.  “Smokers have triggers for lighting up, such as pouring a cup of coffee and smoking a cigarette, answering the phone and lighting a cigarette. This campaign helps smokers think about the behaviors associated with their addiction.”

An estimated 188,997 NH adults currently smoke cigarettes and 58% of them have tried to quit in the past year. According to a recent Surgeon General's Report, 70% of smokers want to quit every year, roughly half of those who try, fail.

Quitting smoking is ultimately one of the single most important lifestyle changes smokers can make to improve and extend their lives.  “To date, I think we have done a really good job of teaching smokers why they should quit and what they need to do.  But, we have not done a good job of telling them how to do it,” said Daniel Fortin, President and CEO of Breathe New Hampshire. “I think the EX® campaign addresses that need. The campaign combines coaching, pharmacotherapy and social support, so that smokers have the support they need,” he concluded.

For the campaign’s New Hampshire Launch, the Ex Coffee Truck will be visiting the city of Manchester on Friday, April 4, 2008 and the city of Concord on Monday, April 7, 2008.  The Ex Coffee Truck will be distributing free coffee and reaching smokers with a quit-smoking message during a common trigger moment at various locations in each city.  In addition to the coffee, information will be distributed on the “re-learn” concept and the EX plan available at BecomeAnEX.org. 

The EX® campaign will educate smokers through advertisements on television, radio and online and via out-of-home promotions. The program also offers smokers a new Web site, http://www.BecomeAnEX.org, which features action-oriented tools and information to help smokers prepare for quitting by developing a personalized plan, as well as a virtual community, where smokers can share stories and best practices about their quit attempt.

For more information about the EX® Campaign or other tobacco cessation resources, contact Breathe New Hampshire at (800) 835-8647 or visit www.breathenh.org.