Quitters Can Be Winners When It Comes to Tobacco |
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March 18, 2014, Volume 60, No. 26 |
Whoever said “quitters never win” wasn’t talking about tobacco. The benefits of quitting start less than an hour after the last smoke. When you remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your life, the positive changes continue for years. But quitting isn’t easy. That’s why Penn is offering a new supportive program through our wellness partner, StayWell. The StayWell Tobacco Cessation program can help you get past the cravings to enjoy tobacco-free living.
The StayWell approach combines personalized coaching with nicotine replacement therapy to help you kick the habit once and for all—and it’s completely free and confidential. This research-based program can assist you through the entire quitting process. StayWell will match you with a qualified health coach for personalized assistance by telephone, mail or online. You’ll also be eligible for up to 12 weeks of nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum or lozenges), delivered to your front door at no cost to you. The program is available to benefits-eligible faculty and staff. To learn more, call Penn’s StayWell help line at 1-855-428-6324, or log on to Penn’s wellness portal at http://penn.staywell.com and look for “Smoke Free” under the programs menu.
Take advantage of this helpful service today, or tell a colleague about it. Here are just some of the good things that quitters experience from the first moment they kick the smoking habit.*
• The First 20 Minutes
Relax. Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
• The First Night
Sweet dreams! The carbon monoxide in your blood drops to normal, so your body now gets more oxygen.
• The First 24 hours
You’re richer. If you used to buy two cigarette packs a day, you’ve already saved over $17!
• The First Year
You’re safer. Your risk for heart disease is half that of someone who still smokes.
For more information on support for smokers and other health resources, visit the Healthy Living website at www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/worklife/healthy
* Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, StayWell
—Division of Human Resources
Related: Upcoming April Programs |