Nicotine

Resources to Quit Nicotine:

• The Missouri Tobacco Quitline: 1.800.QUIT.NOW (784.8669)
• Local Tobacco Cessation Resources in Missouri
• Smoking and Tobacco Information and Resources in Missouri
• Smokefree.gov: Tools, tips, and information to help people quit tobacco, as well as resources and information for specific populations
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Smoking & Tobacco Use Information
• American Cancer Society: How to Quit Using Tobacco
• American Heart Association: Quit Smoking, Vaping and Tobacco Use
• Nicotine Anonymous: Nicotine Anonymous (“NicA”) is a non-profit 12-step fellowship of men and women helping each other live nicotine-free lives
• National Institute on Drug Abuse: Tobacco/Nicotine and Vaping

Only for MWSU Students: The MWSU Counseling Center now offers Tobacco Cessation Services. You will be seen by a counselor and work with them to create a plan to quit. You will also be provided with nicotine replacement therapy (gum, patches, and/or lozenges) to help you to succeed. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact the Counseling Center at 816.271.4327 or counseling@missouriwestern.edu.

Per the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website on Tobacco Use Prevention and Control;

Tobacco Use:

Tobacco use costs lives and money. Every year, almost 11,000 Missourians die from tobacco-related diseases. Missouri spends almost $3 billion annually to treat smoking-related illness. Additionally, Missouri spends over $3 billion annually in smoking-attributed productivity losses.

In Missouri

• The adult smoking rate (19.4% in 2018) is the Tenth highest in the U.S.
• The smoking rate for Missouri’s pregnant women has declined from 15.3%, more than double the national rate of 7.2%.
• The smoking rate among high school students (9.2% in 2017) is only slightly higher than the national average (8.8%). When considering other types of tobacco such as spit tobacco and electronic cigarettes in addition to smoking, the rate of use among Missouri kids jumps to 20.8%.
• Nearly 9 out of 10 cigarette smokers first try cigarette smoking by the age of 18 and 98% first try smoking by the age of 26.