Teche Action breakfast to announce partnership
Teche Action Clinic will host a “Rise N Shine Breakfast” with the St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce August 15 at 7:30 a.m.
Teche Action will announce its partnership with Cardiovascular Institute of the South, the Louisiana Campaign For Tobacco-Free Living (TFL) and the Louisiana Smoking Cessation Trust to create a “Smoke-Free St. Mary” initiative that will include intensive cessation offerings as well as tobacco and secondhand smoke education in Franklin.
Teche Action Clinic CEO Dr. Gary Wiltz said, “We at Teche Action Clinic are delighted to join forces to combat what we all agree is America’s biggest threat and challenge in becoming a smoke-free society. With this coordinated effort we are looking to reach everyone in the community that would like to become free from the chains of tobacco and nicotine addiction.”
Through this partnership, the Teche Action Clinic will arrange for smoker to receive, at no cost, any of the following cessation services: cessation medications, individual/group intensive cessation counseling, and telephone and web-based support via 1-800-QUIT-NOW or www.quitwithusla.org.
By using these services, evidence suggests that smoker’s success rate is higher than trying to do it alone.
“Since adding the counseling component to our program that we began in 2013, we have seen an increase in long-term quit rates, as open communication, accountability and peer support are key factors to quitting for good,” David Konur, FACHE, CEO of Cardiovascular Institute of the South said. “We are happy to be able to offer this important counseling feature to patients at Teche Action Clinic, as we want the best outcomes for patients in this community.”
According to a CIS statement, the involvement of the institute, TFL and the Smoking Cessation Trust is critical to helping create better Health Outcomes for the State of Louisiana as well as a “Smoke/Tobacco Free St. Mary” in the near future.
The St. Mary Parish Government along with the parishes five municipalities have begun to create the pathways through more stringent tobacco-free and smoke-free ordinances and internal policies that limit tobacco use in or near government owned properties similar to those by the cities of New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
“Louisiana continues to make progress in our fight against tobacco’s influence across the state thanks to our network of free quit resources and partners, and parish and city smoke-free ordinances,” Tonia Moore, Director of the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living said. “People who stop smoking greatly reduce their risk for disease and premature death. Although the health benefits are greater for people who stop at earlier ages, quitting is beneficial at all ages. However, Louisiana has a long way to go before we see greater declines in smoking among adults and youth.”
Immediately after the breakfast, all aforementioned organizations will proceed to a ribbon cutting ceremony at Teche Action Clinic at its Franklin clinic located at 1115 Weber St., to formally begin enrollment into the partnership’s Smoking Cessation Program. Those persons wanting to quit smoking will be able to enroll into the program, and once approved, into the trust can begin to use its the services to become tobacco free.