How Does It Work?

The six week Quit Smoking Now program is FREE of charge to anyone interested in attending.  The program offers group and/or one-on-one counseling sessions by trained tobacco cessation specialists.  The goal is to educate smokers and provide them with the necessary tools to live a normal life without cigarettes.  Participants will be educated on addiction, the quit options available, how drug treatments work and what might work for them, coping techniques and numerous other topics that will ultimately help smokers not just quit, but be successful.  To sign up today, please fill out our Online Referral Form now or you can Download the form and submit it to us directly.

Step 1—Assessment
Once you have completed the Referral Form and found a Location that is convenient for you, the first step in the Quit Smoking Now program is an assessment performed by a tobacco cessation specialist.  You will be asked about your medical history, smoking habits, treatment preferences, triggers to smoking and past quit attempts—what worked and what didn’t work.  By getting a complete picture of each individual smoker, our tobacco cessation specialists will then be able to create a customized success plan to use during the six week individual or group counseling sessions.

Step 2—Customized Success Plan
Through the assessment questions, we will be able to determine your level of nicotine addiction and what type of additional support might be needed.  Our cessation specialists will then build a unique success plan that will be tailored to you and your needs.  For example, someone who smokes 40 cigarettes a day will need a different treatment plan and support than someone who smokes 5 to 10 cigarettes socially when out with friends.  We believe that by having a personalized map to success and someone to guide you to the end, your likelihood of success will be significantly increased.

Step 3—FREE Counseling Sessions for 6 weeks
Below is an outline of the topics that will be covered during your six week counseling sessions.  Participants meet a minimum of once a week with their cessation specialist.  Additional resources will also be made available to you by phone 24 hours a day for any additional support you might need.

There is absolutely no cost to enroll in the Quit Smoking Now program.  Discounts or financial assistance for medications and therapies may be available for those who qualify.  Please ask your cessation specialists for details.

WEEK 1: Understanding Affects of Nicotine   þ      Understanding addiction þ      Reasons to quit þ      Triggers to smoking þ      Preparing to quit þ      Level of carbon monoxide in your blood	WEEK 2: Preparing to Quit   þ      Coping with the cravings þ      The 4 D’s to coping þ      Activities to replace smoking þ      Rewarding yourself þ      Quit for Life Line (877- U-CAN-NOW)
WEEK 3: Quit Day   þ      Relapse prevention and support þ      Avoiding triggers to smoking þ      HALT: Management techniques for feelings that trigger cravings	WEEK 4: One Week Tobacco Free   þ      Money you save by quitting þ      Nutrition and exercise
WEEK 5: The Hardest Part is Over   þ      Feeling healthier þ      Lifestyle review and planning exercises þ      Lower levels of carbon monoxide in your blood	WEEK 6: Congratulations!   þ      Miami-Dade AHEC follow-ups þ      Evaluation completion þ      Presentation of certificates

Sign Up For Help Today!

By filling out the below form you are agreeing to have one of Miami-Dade AHEC’s Smoking Cessation Specialist contact you directly.  Upon filling out the form, Miami-Dade AHEC guarantees that someone will contact you within 48 hours.  You are also welcome to Download the referral form and submit it to us directly.  Please contact our Cessation Specialists at (305) 597-3640 if you have any questions or concerns or would like to sign up for our free cessation classes over the phone.

*indicates required field

Qualifying Information
Do you smoke your first cigarette within 30 minutes of waking up?		Yes     No
Would it be harder for you to give up your first cigarette in the morning than any other one during the day?		Yes     No
Is it harder to keep from smoking in places where you are not supposed to? (Examples: hospitals, airplanes, stores, etc)		Yes     No
How many cigarettes per day do you smoke?
Do you smoke more when you first wake up than during the rest of the day?		Yes     No
Do you wake up in the middle of the night to have a cigarette?		Yes     No
Do you smoke even when you are sick?		Yes     No
Have you ever tried to quit smoking in the past?		Yes     No
Are you interested in just talking to someone about maybe quitting smoking?		Yes     No
Do you want to quit smoking?		Yes     No
Contact Information
First Name*
Middle Initial
Last Name
Title
Organization
Address 1
Address 2
City
State	Select Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Zip
Best # to Contact You*
Fax #
Email
I give Miami-Dade AHEC permission to contact me to offer me free smoking cessation assistance.*		Yes     No

 

Helpful Resources

Are you just doing a little homework?  Trying to determine if you can do it? Well we think you can!  And here are some of the reasons we think you should start today!

J After 20 minutes: Your blood pressure, pulse rate and body temperature will return to normal J After 8 hours Your body will start to heal itself; the carbon monoxide level in your blood will drop to normal and your oxygen level will increase to normal J After 24 hours Your chance of a heart attack will have already decreased J After 48 hours Your nerve endings will start re-growing and your ability to smell and taste things will be enhanced J After 72 hours Your bronchial tubes will relax, lung capacity will increase and breathing will become easier J After 2 to 3 months Your circulation will improve, walking will become easier and lung function will increase up to 30% J After 1 to 9 months Your cilia will reactivate in your lungs, which will increase their ability to handle mucous, clean the lungs and reduce infection; coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath will decrease and your body’s overall energy level will increase J After 5 years The lung cancer death rate for the average smoker will decrease to almost 50% J After 10 years The lung cancer death rate for the average smoker will drop to almost the same rate of a non-smoker; the risk of other cancers will also decrease significantly

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Want to learn more?  Click on the PDF links below: Seven Great Reasons to Quit Smoking Now How Tobacco Affects Your Body What's Really in Your Cigarette? Tobacco Free Florida Campaign FAQ’s Florida QuitLine

Other Useful Web Sites QUITLINE Become an EX My Time to Quit American Cancer Society American Lung Association US Department Health & Human Services US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tobacco Free Florida Miami-Dade County Health Department Florida Department of Health

 

 

Contact Info & Locations

A new tobacco free life is closer than you think.  Below is a list of locations where our smoking cessation classes are held.  Anyone is welcome to drop in, or feel free to contact our Cessation Specialists to set up an appointment date and time what will work best for you.

We encourage you to fill out our Referral Form before attending; however, it is not necessary for attendance.  You can fill out the Online Referral Form now or fill free to Download the form and bring it with you.

Community Health Centers
Citrus Health Network, Inc.	4125 W 20th Ave. Hialeah, FL 33102	TBD
Helen B. Bentley Family Health Center, Inc.	3090 SW 37th Ave. Miami, FL 33133	Wednesday 12pm - 1pm
Universities/Colleges
Florida International University (University Park Campus)	11200 SW 8th St. Miami, FL 33199	Wednesday Please call to schedule a time (786)597-1716
Other
Empower "U", Inc.	8309 NW 22nd Ave. Miami, FL 33147	Friday 11am - 12pm
Miami-Dade AHEC	8600 NW 53rd Ter. #200 Miami, FL 33166	Wednesday 7pm - 8pm

Please be aware that this is not a comprehensive list of locations or dates and times that we are available.  Please contact our Cessation Specialists at (305) 597-3640 for a complete list of location options.

Special Projects

In an effort to reach out and help more people, Miami-Dade AHEC has developed the following Special Projects to target specific groups that need help or that would like to provide help to others.

Workplace Wellness
Employers who want to help their employees become smoke free can have Miami-Dade AHEC bring our Quit Smoking Now program directly to their work site for FREE.  The benefit to employers is not only a healthier working environment but also more productive employees that are less of a health risk.  The benefit to employees is that it’s convenient and they won’t need to take time off of work to attend.  Workplace Wellness sessions are a win-win for everyone.  For more information please contact our Cessation Specialists.

Mommy, Baby & Family
We understand that the stress of being a new parent can increase the desire to smoke.  Unfortunately, when pregnant and postpartum women smoke, they are actually smoking for two people—themselves and their unborn child.  Because of the special medical and psychological needs of pregnant women and their families, Miami-Dade AHEC has developed a unique program that will help mothers-to-be quit smoking safely and quickly.  For more information please contact our Senior Health Education Coordinator.

Continuing Education
We are regularly offering programs to health care professionals related to addiction, treatment options and smoking cessation.  Please check out our Calendar for a complete list of our upcoming programs.

Community Health Workers
Community Health Workers (CHWs) are members of the community they serve.  They build relationships and trust at the grassroots level in order to help bridge the gap between individuals in their community and health care providers.  Miami-Dade AHEC will train CHWs to deliver tobacco cessation messages to their community members.  Please check out our Calendar for a complete listing of our upcoming programs.  For more information please contact our Senior Health Education Coordinator.