Tobacco Cessation and Prevention
Public Health partners with worksites, schools, and community organizations to offer free tobacco cessation for residents of Montgomery County; and participants receive a one-month supply of patches. The program includes telephonic or group cessation sessions.
The Tobacco and Nicotine Prevention and Cessation Program (TNPCP), part of the Bureau of Health Improvement and Wellness at the Ohio Department of Health, focuses on three main objectives:
- Prevent the initiation of tobacco and nicotine product use among youth and young individuals.
- Assist adults in ceasing the use of tobacco and nicotine products.
- Implement policies that restrict the availability of tobacco and nicotine products and minimize exposure to secondhand smoke.
Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County works towards achieving these goals through a variety of activities, including but not limited to:
- Training youth and individuals who work with youth about the effects of vaping.
- Collaborating with youth to implement policy changes related to tobacco and nicotine in their community.
- Working with behavioral health facilities to improve their tobacco/nicotine-free policies.
- Collaborating with the Dayton Police Department and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office to perform compliance checks, ensuring retailers do not sell tobacco/nicotine products to anyone under 21.
- Conducting store audits to evaluate tobacco product marketing at the point of sale.
- Screening individuals for readiness to quit and referring them to the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line.
Nicotine Recovery Unit (Cessation)
Tobacco cessation focuses on helping those who are ready to quit tobacco/nicotine by directing them to the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line, 1-800-QUIT NOW, and the Quit Line website.
If you or someone you know is ready to begin a new tobacco/nicotine-free life, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) and speak with an intake specialist to help you quit all forms of tobacco.
The Ohio Tobacco Quit Line's Quit for Life program provides personal coaching and telephone counseling FREE of charge to ALL Ohioans, regardless of insurance status or income. It also provides FREE nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges to eligible participants.
Why it’s important
Tobacco/nicotine use continues to be the primary cause of preventable death and illness both in the United States and in Ohio.
Ohio Facts |
|
|---|---|
| Healthcare Cost Due to Smoking: | 5,647,310,236 |
| Adult Smoking Rate: | 15.00% |
| Adult Tobacco Use Rate: | 22.70% |
| High School Smoking Rate: | 3.60% |
| High School Tobacco Use Rate: | 20.20% |
| Middle School Smoking Rate: | 3.10% |
| Smoking Attributable Deaths per Year | 20,180 |
Adult smoking and tobacco use statistics are from CDC’s 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; this includes cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and e-cigarettes. High school smoking and tobacco use rates are based on CDC's 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, and the middle school smoking rate is based on the 2021 Ohio Youth Tobacco Survey.
Health impact data is sourced from the SAMMEC software, which estimates smoking-related mortality, morbidity, and economic costs. Smoking-attributable deaths represent the average annual figures from 2005 to 2009 for individuals aged 35 and older. Healthcare expenditures attributable to smoking are calculated using 2004 smoking fractions and 2009 healthcare expenditure figures. Note: Do not compare death and expenditure data across states.
Key Findings
Support for tobacco-related regulations was substantial
88.6% agreeing that e-cigarettes and vaping products should be treated the same as traditional cigarettes under tobacco laws and policies
92.7% supported limiting the impact of tobacco advertising within the community
Community support for tobacco-free environments was high
96.9% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that tobacco use by adults should not be allowed on school grounds or at school events
Secondhand smoke and vapor were recognized as harmful exposures
Most respondents (84%) indicated that secondhand smoke and vapor exposure causes either “some harm” or “a lot of harm.”
Respondents demonstrated strong support for youth tobacco prevention policies
92.6% agreed or strongly agreed that communities should consistently enforce restrictions prohibiting sales of tobacco and nicotine products to individuals under 21 years of age.
94.7% agreed or strongly agreed that adolescents and young adults should never experiment with tobacco or nicotine products.
Healthcare-based tobacco cessation support was viewed as important
97.5% of respondents thought it was “somewhat important” or “very important” for healthcare providers to ask patients about tobacco/nicotine use and provide assistance for quitting.
Respondents viewed tobacco prevention as a high community priority
94% reported it was “somewhat important” or “very important” for community leaders and healthcare agencies to make reducing tobacco use and its burden a top priority.
