Anti-Smoking Campaign Targets Colorado Smokers
4,200 Coloradans Die Each Year From Tobacco-Related Illnesses
POSTED: 2:55 p.m. MDT August 26, 2002
UPDATED: 3:09 p.m. MDT August 26, 2002
DENVER -- Chuck, a guy who likes to smoke, but wants to quit, will begin telling his story on Colorado airwaves beginning, Aug. 28.
New state-funded radio and television ads featuring "Chuck," a smoker who wants to quit, will begin airing Wednesday to tell tobacco users about free services to help them stop using.
Health officials said they hope Chuck can relate to the more than 640,000 smokers in Colorado who feel hassled by trying to find a place to light up, the disdain of nonsmokers and an urge to quit.
The $1.75 million ad campaign will be funded with Colorado's share of the national tobacco settlement.
"If Big Tobacco has taught us anything, it's that they will
spare no expense to market their products," said Ned Calonge, the
state's acting chief medical officer. "We're taking some of the
tobacco companies' best ideas and using them against the barrage of
smoking propaganda that permeates the media."
The ads are intended to point smokers to the Colorado Quitline
and Colorado QuitNet programs that started 10 months ago. The
Quitline provides free counseling, and the QuitNet Web site at
www.co.quitnet.com links users to other smokers trying to quit. You can also call the Colorado Quitline for free, professional counseling to quit smoking at (800)639-QUIT.
About 4,200 Coloradans die every year from tobacco-related
illnesses, Calonge said.
Annual tobacco-related health care costs are more than $1
billion in Colorado, said Karen DeLeeuw, director of the State
Tobacco Education and Prevention Program.
New state-funded radio and television ads featuring "Chuck," a smoker who wants to quit, will begin airing Wednesday to tell tobacco users about free services to help them stop using.
Health officials said they hope Chuck can relate to the more than 640,000 smokers in Colorado who feel hassled by trying to find a place to light up, the disdain of nonsmokers and an urge to quit.
The $1.75 million ad campaign will be funded with Colorado's share of the national tobacco settlement.
"If Big Tobacco has taught us anything, it's that they will
spare no expense to market their products," said Ned Calonge, the
state's acting chief medical officer. "We're taking some of the
tobacco companies' best ideas and using them against the barrage of
smoking propaganda that permeates the media."
The ads are intended to point smokers to the Colorado Quitline
and Colorado QuitNet programs that started 10 months ago. The
Quitline provides free counseling, and the QuitNet Web site at
www.co.quitnet.com links users to other smokers trying to quit. You can also call the Colorado Quitline for free, professional counseling to quit smoking at (800)639-QUIT.
About 4,200 Coloradans die every year from tobacco-related
illnesses, Calonge said.
Annual tobacco-related health care costs are more than $1
billion in Colorado, said Karen DeLeeuw, director of the State
Tobacco Education and Prevention Program.
Copyright 2002 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
