Description and Mission of the Program

Tobacco use is the nation's number one cause of preventable death, killing more people every year than AIDS, alcohol, drugs, murders, suicides, car crashes, and fires, combined.

The harmful health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 443,000 deaths or nearly 1 of every 5 deaths each year in the United States.

Cowlitz County Tobacco Use Statistics

Related Health Department Web Links

• Register a Complaint Online

• Health Education

• Healthy Homes

Major Program Objectives and Goals

The Health Department and its partners are working to:

• Identify & eliminate tobacco related disparities

• Prevent youth from beginning to use tobacco

• Increase quitting among tobacco users

• Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke

Tobacco Prevention and Control Programs

The Effects of Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Each year 53,000 people in the United States die from secondhand smoke-related heart disease and cancers. Hundreds of thousands more develop pneumonia, bronchitis, colds, and asthma attacks because of secondhand smoke.

Want to Quit Tobacco
For free help with quitting tobacco call the Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) or visit www.quitline.com

What's New

SmokeFreeWashington.com

State Program Highlighted Nationally For Successes

Third Hand Smoke

More than 50 million Americans smoke regularly, and 70 percent of those men, women, and children want to quit.  Quitting is not easy, but studies show that tobacco users are two to three times more likely to quit successfully if they receive help, especially skills training, counseling, and medication, such as nicotine replacement patches and gum.

Helping people quit using tobacco is a major emphasis of the state program and involves a variety of activities.  These include operating a free adult telephone quit line (800-QUIT-NOW) supported by a statewide media campaign and the Web site, quitline.com, funding local quitting programs, working with insurers to include help with quitting their coverage, and training doctors and other healthcare providers to help their patients quit.

The help you need

• What happens when you quit
• Tips for quitting from Washington tobacco Quit Line

Community Partners

• Cowlitz Tribe

• Peace Health

• CSAC

• Head Start

• Pathways 2020

• Healthy Lifestyle Coalition

• City Council Members

• Council of Governments

• County Commissioners/Board of Health

• Lower Columbia Community Action Council

• School Districts

• ESD 112

• WIC

For more information, contact Jessica Bell at (360) 501-1228.