Nov. 21 is the Great American Smokeout, the day Americans are asked to either quit smoking or at least start thinking about it.
The financial burden of smoking weighs heavily on Cleveland residents. A pack-a-day habit now costs approximately $8 per day, amounting to:
- $56 per week
- $241 per month
- Nearly $3,000 annually
"Big Tobacco spends $9 million on advertising in Cleveland alone," says Prince Pempton, health promotion coordinator for the Cleveland Department of Public Health. "With that amount of money, you could buy a small village in Spain."
Pempton, a Cleveland native, points out that inner-city neighborhoods have historically been targeted with advertising by tobacco companies, contributing to the city's 35% smoking rate — the highest in the nation compared to the national average of 11%.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, claiming approximately 500,000 lives annually. Beyond its well-documented connection to lung cancer, smoking significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, with research continuing to uncover additional health impacts.
In Ohio alone, smoking-related healthcare costs amount to $6.5 billion.
"If you were to quit, your healthcare costs can reduce about 40 to 50%," Pempton explains.
The journey to becoming smoke-free isn't easy. Medical experts compare nicotine's addictiveness to that of heroin and cocaine. However, success stories like Ken Shrefler's offer hope to others struggling with tobacco addiction.
Ken had his last cigarette on May 26, 2023.
Shrefler, a retired firefighter who smoked for five decades, found his motivation to quit when doctors refused to perform needed surgery due to his smoking habit. He turned to University Hospitals' smoking cessation program for help.
"I lost my addiction," Shrefler shares during a session with his smoking cessation counselor and University Hospitals' respiratory therapist, Megan McDonald. "I can be around people who smoke, and even if I slip up, it's not the end of the world because I know I'm not going back to that lifestyle."
Finding the "Why" is the first step to quitting. The second is finding a program that works.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General's 2022 report, while about half of adult smokers attempted to quit, only 9% succeeded. However, with proper support and resources, the odds of success improve significantly.
The FDA has approved seven different medications for tobacco cessation, including:
- Nicotine replacement therapy (patches, lozenges, gum)
- Nasal sprays and inhalers
- Anti-depressants
- Nicotinic receptor agonists
For Ohio residents looking to quit, the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line (1-800-QUIT-NOW) offers free cessation support services.
Here's a list of more resources:
Cleveland Department of Public Health Community Cessation Program
- Phone: 216-664-7104
Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline
- Ohio's Medicaid program covers tobacco cessation treatment with minimal barriers and without significant lifetime limits, annual limits, or limits of duration of treatment.
- Phone: (800) 324-8680
MetroHealth Nicotine Dependence Prevention and Treatment Program:
- Phone: 216-778-3031
- Email: MHquitsmoking@metrohealth.org
Cleveland Clinic Smoking Cessation Program:
- Phone: 216-448-8247
Cleveland Community Clinics
- Phone: 216-777-3045
Hispanic UMADAOP
- Email: intake@hispanicumadaop.org
Friendly Inn Settlement- Moms Quit for Two:
- Phone: 216-431-7656
- Email: friendlyinn@thefriendlyinn.org
Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services, Inc.:
- Hough Health Center (Main)
- 8300 Hough Ave., Cleveland
- Phone: 216-231-7700
- Southeast Health Center
- 13301 Miles Ave., Cleveland
- Phone: 216-751-3100
- Miles Broadway Health Center
- 9127 Miles Ave., Cleveland
- Phone: 216-325-6544
- St. Clair Health Center
- 10505 St. Clair Ave. , Suite 101, Cleveland
- Phone: 216-325-6556
- Superior Health Center
- 12100 Superior Ave., Cleveland
- Phone: 216-51-2600
- Collinwood Health Center
- 15322 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland
- Phone: 216-851-1500
Ohio Department of Health Tobacco Program:
- Phone: 800-784-8669
Mobile apps/text programs
QuitSTART:
- Phone: "Quit Now" Dial 211**
- "Quitline: 1(800) QUIT-NOW** 784-8669
- Text: QUITNOW to 333888**
Smoke Free
- Smokefree.gov/smokefreetxt
- Text "Start My Quit" to 36072
- Text "DITCHVAPE" to 88709 Text "Quit" to iQuit or 47848