This January, make it your resolution to help someone quit smoking for good.
Even with the best of intentions, New Year's resolutions have a tendency to slowly fade away as we get further away from January 1. This year, I plan on renewing a resolution to help a friend quit smoking for good and I have an easy way for you to join me.
The American Lung Association and Pfizer have collaborated on a new mobile app built not only for those ready to quit smoking, but for their friends and family as well. Quitter's Circle is a unique quit smoking initiative that allows quitters and supporters to take a quit journey together, keeping the quitter on track and giving friends and family advice on how to be an effective supporter.
We conducted a national survey and asked what individuals are looking for when they quit smoking, and 80 percent of smokers trying to quit said support from family, friends, significant others, and even co-workers, is very important to successfully quitting smoking.
With Quitter's Circle, this type of support is present throughout the quit journey. Supporters can follow a quitter's progress and offer "quitspiration" along the way. When a quitter is having a rough day or has the urge to smoke a cigarette, his or her circle of supporters will be able to see it in real-time and offer support in that moment. An urge to smoke a cigarette lasts approximately three to five minutes, and being a phone call away can make all the difference to your quitter.
Our survey also found that more than 9 in 10 Americans agree that quitting smoking is difficult. No one should have to overcome an addiction to nicotine alone. Join me this January by downloading the free Quitter's Circle app and register as a Supporter. You can then invite a family member, friend or co-worker to start their quit journey with your support.
You'll be able to access articles and tips on how to support a quit attempt, what to say (and what not to say) to someone quitting smoking, and even contribute to a Quit Fund. Another barrier we found to quitting smoking were the up-front costs associated with quitting especially for things like quit smoking aids or medications. Through a Quit Fund, supporters can help off-set those initial costs, and even contribute to rewards for hitting certain milestones--such as going one month smoke-free.
More than 160 million Americans made a New Year's resolution, but a majority will drop their resolutions within six months. Along with going to the gym more often and starting a diet, quitting smoking tops many New Year's resolution lists. With your support, you can help a loved one keep on track with their resolution so that this time next year, you'll be celebrating a smoke-free anniversary.
Help us get closer to a smoke-free world, one quit smoking journey at a time.