DO YOU SMOKE MENTHOL TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND WANT TO QUIT?
Smoking and vaping may put people at higher risk of complications from COVID-19, especially because those products can weaken the immune system and damage the lungs. This is an especially opportune time for those who smoke or vape to try to quit.
As a result of a new law, menthol tobacco products have been removed from regular stores in Massachusetts. With menthol tobacco products unavailable and COVID-19 risks continuing, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) has found a new way to help people quit.
Gift Cards Totaling $50.00 is one way to motivate smokers and vapers to quit.
The Massachusetts Smokers’ Helpline is now offering up to three gift cards totaling $50.00 to those who use menthol tobacco products and offering Helpline free coaching services. Residents may call the Helpline at 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) to learn about the program and take advantage of free coaching and support twenty four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week. They can also enroll online at MAKE SMOKING HISTORY.
Assisting those who use menthol products and are trying to quit is especially important given that the tobacco industry has strategically and has
successfully targeted Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ people with menthol products. As a result of aggressive marketing practices and pressures
related to discrimination and daily stressors, menthol tobacco use is high within these communities.
Massachusetts residents who use menthol tobacco products and speak with the Helpline’s supportive coaches, can receive a $10,00 gift card after completing the first coaching call; a $15.00 gift card after the second call; and a $25.00 gift card after the third coaching call. In addition, up to eight (8) weeks of FREE nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges are also available to residents who speak with a coach (with medical eligibility).
Offering gift cards* can motivate smokers and vapers to call the Helpline.
*While supplies last
For more information, please contact Tina Grosowky of the Central MA Tobacco-Free Community Partnership at 508-856-5067 or tina.grosowky@umassmed.edu