He started with nicotine replacement patches and lozenges and was able to progressively decrease the number of cigarettes per day to zero while working with Jeremy Finazzo, a Social Worker and Tobacco Treatment Specialist with the 黑料网 Tobacco Treatment Program.

Mr. Hammond identified why his work with the Tobacco Treatment Program was helpful, “it was basically the way Jeremy talked to me, he never looked down on me, he never judged me, he always encouraged me.” He shared, “My breathing has improved, I鈥檓 feeling better, my taste is back, my smell is back.”

Reflecting on his experience with quitting smoking he stated, “I would encourage anyone that is smoking and having problems, to get in touch with 黑料网 because you guys can do it. It really affects your health in more ways than you realize, quicker than you know鈥ust stop. Do whatever it takes, call whoever you need to call, get all the help you can get, just please stop smoking cigarettes.”

Registration is open now for all Duke-黑料网 TTS spring and summer trainings, including our comprehensive TTS training program, as well as our 1-day advanced CE intensives. Info about all of these training opportunities is below and on our website at .

• NEW! May 17, 2023: 1-Day Tobacco Treatment in Adolescent and Young Adult Populations, 8.5 CE hours;
• May 23, 2023: 1-Day Tobacco Dependence Pharmacotherapy听 7.5 CE hours,
• July 17-25, 2023: (30 CE hours available, register by July 1 for $150 Early Bird discount)
• November 6-14, 2023: Comprehensive TTS Training Program;
• Download a PDF flyer with full descriptions of our trainings;

Duke-黑料网 TTS also provides a FREE video-based CE activity鈥�鈥�available to anyone, anytime.

The White House tapped 黑料网 Lineberger, which received Cancer Moonshot funding in 2017 and 2020, for its leadership, its depth of translational research, and as a model of progress in several key areas, especially cancer prevention, early detection, and outcomes-based research funded through the National Cancer Institute.

黑料网 Lineberger director Shelley Earp, MD, provided an overview of 黑料网 Lineberger鈥檚 role as North Carolina鈥檚 public comprehensive cancer center to reduce the burden of cancer across the state, from basic scientific drug development to researching and providing promising immunotherapies for patients, before introducing three groups of researchers from across campus:

The Moonshot-initiated Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Programs

, director of the 黑料网 Tobacco Intervention and professor of family medicine; and听, co-lead of the 黑料网 Lineberger Cancer Prevention & Control, and professor and chair of behavioral health at the 黑料网 Gillings School of Global Public Health.

During each conversational session, Prabhakar engaged each researcher with pertinent questions about the problems our country faces because of cancer and how to best address these issues through better access to tobacco cessation programs, better ways to reduce obesity to decrease endometrial cancers, and how to leverage population health data and technology to reduce cancer rates.

鈥淲orking on solutions to cancer is one of the most important things we can do, and these solutions are so important to the President and First Lady,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey have the conviction to tackle this, and that鈥檚 one of the reasons I took this job.鈥�

She added, 鈥淚鈥檓 heartened by the progress you鈥檝e made and we all know we need to do more. It was just such a pleasure to dig in and see quality of work and commitment you bring to this work.鈥�

鈥� Mark Derewicz, 黑料网 Health

For the full story on the White House Chief Science & Technology Advisor’s visit to 黑料网 Lineberger visit .

Read the article .

See the 黑料网 Lineberger release .

While hospitalized at the 黑料网 Medical Center in Chapel Hill, she saw a Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS) who assisted her in identifying her motivation for becoming tobacco-free, problem solving challenges she might experience when returning home, and offering nicotine replacement therapy that would increase her chances of staying quit long-term. The TTS worked with Rose to identify strategies for managing stress and for reducing urges to smoke. Rose听says the visit was a reminder of her desire to improve her quality of life and she 鈥渞egained a sense of confidence.鈥� Rose expressed appreciation for the TTS鈥� pleasant and non-judgmental perspective, saying 鈥淚 know that once I鈥檓 discharged, I have someone holding me accountable and motivating me to keep moving forward.鈥�

Rose听continues to strive towards a tobacco-free life to improve her health and healing.

During a follow-up call with the TTS, Rose confirmed she had not smoked a cigarette since leaving the hospital one week ago. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful feeling to finally be free of so many cigarettes!鈥� 听She offers this advice to others who are also trying to quit: 鈥淐hange your routines around a little and find a place to put your tobacco where you can鈥檛 automatically access it.”

Most people start smoking in high school, and Corey Peavler was no exception. Around the age of 16, Corey lit his first cigarette. 听Several factors led to his introduction to smoking, including: a heavy course load in high school; easy access to free cigarettes; and tobacco company marketing highlighting successful people smoking. Now, more than 15 years later, Corey realizes the high cost of smoking and that true success is being tobacco free.

Corey tried to quit smoking several times, but had difficulty staying quit beyond the first 72 hours due to intense cravings. In previous quit attempts, Corey used strategies such as smoking half a cigarette and relighting the other half later to reduce the overall number of daily cigarettes. He later learned that relighting could actually increase his health risks. Corey also tried switching to e-cigarettes to quit smoking but realized he 鈥渉ad just swapped one behavior for another.鈥�

While receiving treatment at the NC Cancer Hospital, Corey was visited by Ellen Ruebush, a Tobacco Treatment Specialist with the 黑料网 Tobacco Treatment Program. Through his work with Ellen, Corey learned how smoking and nicotine negatively affected his body and emotions. He also learned and practiced strategies to help him quit鈥攕uch as walking outside and drinking water鈥攁nd he started taking Chantix, a quit-smoking medication.

Corey is now tobacco free, and he breathes easier and has more energy! Corey still uses the strategies that helped him quit smoking, and he added new strategies to help him stay quit. For example, Corey now keeps his cellphone in the pocket where he used to keep a pack of cigarettes and says, 鈥淲henever I find myself reaching for a cigarette, I just pull out my phone and take a picture.鈥� Corey has found that if he keeps his hands busy taking pictures he is less likely to reach for a cigarette. These pictures also remind Corey of the progress he has made and provide him with memories of a tobacco free life.

His advice for others who are hoping to quit smoking is: 鈥淚f one cannot change one’s situation, one may always change one’s perception.鈥� Corey had to change his perception and understanding of his smoking in order to quit, and he is now four months tobacco free!

If you or someone you love would like to talk with a professional from the Tobacco Treatment Program about quitting smoking or vaping, please contact us at 984-974-4976.

These are some photos Corey has taken inspired by keeping his mind off of smoking and focused on the goal of remaining tobacco free!

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One month earlier, he was diagnosed with heart problems.听 In the emergency room, the doctor gave him a nicotine patch and strongly advised him to quit smoking.听 The lesson stuck and he remained quit.

So why get involved with the Tobacco Cessation program if he was already quit? 听During his HRA appointment, Liska Lackey suggested he contact Barbara Silver, Tobacco Treatment Specialist, for support, encouragement and motivation.

Barbara advised Tommy to keep using the nicotine patches to help him stay quit. 听Through the program, he received patches for free, which was very helpful.

Tommy said that most employers don鈥檛 offer a Tobacco Cessation program like ours and he was glad to take advantage of it. He liked the one-on-one in-person interaction with Barbara. The patches and keeping busy at work reduced cravings and prevented relapse, especially when he encountered stressful situations.

He reports that he has saved money (and received $100 for quitting for 6 months).听 He is sleeping better, and his house and clothes don鈥檛 smell from smoke anymore. 听Tommy recommends the Wellness@Work program to anyone thinking about quitting tobacco.

If you are a Chapel Hill Town Employee, and want to quit smoking, vaping or using smokeless tobacco, contact Barbara Silver, 919-904-4848 (phone or text), barbara_silver@med.unc.edu. The program is free and includes support and free medication. If you quit using tobacco for 6 months, you receive $100 gift card. Quit for another 6 months or 1 full year and receive another $100!

In March he decided he wanted to try quitting again because he felt as if his gums were getting worse from the tobacco.听 He has now been tobacco free for 6 months. He cites numerous reasons he鈥檚 happy about it: the inside of his mouth feels smooth, his dental health has improved, he doesn鈥檛 have to worry about his children seeing him dip or carry around the spit bottle, and he hopes being tobacco free will add years to his life.

Mr. Harp decided to use Varenicline (Chantix) to help him stop using tobacco. In the past he had used a nicotine patch and nicotine gum, but felt that using Chantix 鈥渨ould be easier.鈥� Chantix was effective because it kept the tobacco from being pleasurable and he no longer got the nicotine 鈥渉igh鈥� from the dip. In addition to the medication, Lonnie worked with his tobacco treatment counselor to develop other strategies to implement when he wanted to use tobacco. He used hard candies, regular chewing gum, and mints to have something non-tobacco in his mouth.听 He was careful not to hold them in his usual place he held dip, so as not to reinforce that feeling.听 He is glad to be free of tobacco and says, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to go there again.鈥�

鈥淎fter I quit I kept telling myself if I have one today, then I have to start back over at Day 1.听 Day 1 always seemed like the hardest thing.鈥�

Lonnie appreciates having access to the Wellness@Work Tobacco Cessation program because of the support he received when he needed it from his counselor, Barbara Silver. Being able to receive the medication for free through the program was helpful.听 Lonnie is presently on a lower dose of Chantix and checks in with Barbara periodically for support.

If you are a Chapel Hill Town Employee, and want to quit smoking, vaping or using smokeless tobacco, contact Barbara Silver, 919-904-4848 (phone or text), barbara_silver@med.unc.edu.
The program is free and includes support and free medication. If you quit using tobacco for 6 months, you receive $100 gift card. Quit for another 6 months and receive another $100!

Tim Kaiser wanted to make some changes while he was still healthy. So he reached to the Tobacco Free Tar Heels Program for help with quitting and is now tobacco free.

Tim reached out to Barbara Silver, with the 黑料网 Tobacco Treatment Program. During their first meeting they agreed that using both nicotine patches and lozenges was the best treatment for him. In addition to medications, Tim employed strategies to help distract him from smoking at various times during the day. He liked playing music and hiking, which were healthy activities he used to replace smoking. He also used toothpicks to battle cravings, in addition to nicotine lozenges.

Tim likes the fact that the Tobacco Free Tar Heels Program is completely free 鈥� he didn鈥檛 have to pay for his patches lozenges, or counseling sessions with Barbara.

He appreciates the support he received from Barbara as well as from his wife, who also quit smoking.

Now that he is tobacco free, he has more energy and doesn’t think about smoking most of the time.听 On those occasions when he does, he uses lozenges or toothpicks.

Tim reports that smoking is “not taking up any mental space” Every day gets easier.听 He has peace of mind not having to think about it.

If you are interested in quitting tobacco and are a 黑料网 Health Care employee or dependent of an employee, contact听Barbara Silver听(919-904-4848) to set up an appointment.

Jody鈥檚 motivation to quit smoking came from billboards on the highway promoting lung screening for current and former smokers. Her test results came back negative (cancer free!) and she decided to stop smoking to remain healthy. Jody remarked, 鈥淚 see many cancer patients at my job, and many of them smoke; I don鈥檛 want that to be me.鈥�

Patti realized that she frequently went outside to smoke, taking unnecessary time away from her family. This year, Thanksgiving was a 鈥渂reeze鈥� not having to run outside for cigarette breaks.

Jody came into the program first and after discussing the best plan for cessation with Barbara Silver, Tobacco Cessation Counselor, she decided to use an anti-smoking medication called varenicline (brand name Chantix) and to continue seeing Barbara for counseling. Patti was motivated also to join the program after seeing Jody achieve success with this combination of medication and supportive counseling.

Both women were pleased that they could get their medication for free at the 黑料网 Employee Pharmacy. The money Patti saved at the pharmacy and from not buying cigarettes helped her family while her husband was temporarily unemployed. They were both happy to have more money in their pockets over the holidays.

The sisters-in-law describe other benefits of being tobacco free: not having cigarettes control them, good-smelling clothes, normal blood pressure readings, and children proud of their accomplishment.

If you are a 黑料网 Health Care employee who smokes, chews, or vapes and would like help in quitting, please contact Barbara Silver at 984-974-8455, 919-904-4848, or听barbara_silver@med.unc.edu.