Local departments of health can help people quit smoking because they are in a position to assess and determine their county's health problems, needs, and resources, and they can provide services directly to county residents.
The role of a local health department is to protect and promote the health of their residents. This is achieved in various ways including:
- Monitoring health status
- Identifying problems
- Informing
- Educating
- Empowering
- Creating partnerships
- Developing policies
- Enforcing Laws & Regulation aimed at protecting health
- Linking constituents with local resources
- Researching innovative solutions
- Implementing Best Practices
Local departments of health can help people quit smoking because they are in a position to assess and determine their county's health problems, needs, and resources, and they can provide services directly to county residents. Specific to tobacco use, health departments are integral in providing cessation materials for those interested in quitting tobacco use. They can be equipped to provide education for preventing the initiation of tobacco use and promoting awareness of the hazards of tobacco use. In many counties, residents can get free smoking cessation counseling and NRT through their local health departments.
County Health Department Programs and Information:
If you would like to learn more about programs offered by specific county health departments, please click here. There are contact numbers for each county. Please feel free to call them toll free for the most updated information concerning tobacco or smoking cessation in your county. Programs may include individual counseling, group counseling, NRTs, prescription medications. In all counties previously listed, these services are free of charge. Programs range anywhere from 6 weeks to 10 weeks. In addition to specific cessation programs, typically health departments also coordinate community prevention programs concerning the use of tobacco. Local health departments can be a good source of information and affordable services regarding quitting as well as preventing the use of tobacco.
Did you know that the Medicaid population is significantly more likely to use tobacco than the general population? Do you want to enhance your skills at reaching and intervening with Medicaid patients who use tobacco? MDQuit has an online training to teach you the strategies that can be utilized will all patients—regardless of their health insurance status. You can sign-up for this FREE self-paced online training by going to https://HABITSLabTraining.litmos.com/self-signup/ and entering the training code, "medicaid".
