DOD attacks smokeless tobacco

  • Published
Falls Church, Va. --  In a month-long initiative to promote the Great American Spit Out (GASpO) Feb. 19, and Through With Chew Week, Feb. 15-21, the U.S. Department of Defense and TRICARE are deploying all the weapons in their arsenals. The target of the attack is the smokeless, but far from harmless, spit or chewing tobacco, often simply referred to as "dip." 

The operation will kick off at the DOD tobacco cessation Web site, http://www.ucanquit2.org, the online headquarters of the multi-year campaign, "Quit Tobacco--Make Everyone Proud." Beginning Feb. 1, military installations can register their GASpO event at http://www.ucanquit2.org/facts/gaspo/default.aspx to alert the military community and those in the local area of their participation in the Great American Spit Out. 

The Web site offers an innovative array of high-tech mechanisms and interactive tools to help service members follow through with their plans to quit. In the newly launched My QuitSpace, registered users can create a blog, either public or private, to document their journey and share their experiences. They may also download a customizable quit plan and quit calendar, adding personalized information, goals, tips and dates. 

Many servicemembers trying to quit tobacco have questions. The Web site has responded to this need by introducing an Ask the Expert feature for GASpO. Capt. Larry Williams, U.S. Navy Tobacco Clinical Cessation Champion, will be the guest expert throughout the month of February. He will answer questions from smokeless tobacco users and those who support their intention to quit, including health promotion and health care professionals on military installations. 

Servicemembers and others are encouraged to visit the Web site and submit questions about smokeless tobacco usage, health risks, quit strategies and more. The Web site will post Dr. Williams' responses on a daily basis. 

The multifaceted resources at the award-winning Web site are designed to arm service men and women with the tools they need to win the battle against tobacco. It also allows servicemembers to get support from family and friends to quit, no matter where they live, as well as professional counseling. Through Live Chat, a unique online service, users get immediate real-time help from trained tobacco Cessation Coaches from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST. 

Visitors can also take part in the discussion boards, read a new online article debunking the myths surrounding smokeless tobacco, and play games, such as Texas Hold 'em, which deals out informative and motivational messages with the cards. 

For more information, visit http://www.ucanquit2.org.