Residents looking to ring in the new year by no longer using tobacco products are set to receive help from a pair of community organizations.
Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition (CCDP) and the Carter County Health Department are partnering once again to sponsor a free installment of “Freedom From Smoking” classes, which are free and open to the public, through January and February.
CCDP, located in downtown Elizabethton, will be the site for “Freedom From Smoking” and Julian Reece, CCDP director, officially recently released the dates of the classes to the Elizabethton Star.
Dates include:
• Session One – Monday, Jan. 8
• Session Two – Monday, Jan. 15
• Session Three – Monday, Jan. 22
• Session Four – (Quit Date) – Monday, Jan. 29
• Session Five – (Quit Date Check-Up) – Wednesday, Jan. 31
• Session Six – Monday, Feb. 5
• Session Seven – Monday, Feb. 12
• Session Eight – (Celebration) – Monday, Feb. 19
Each class will be held at 6 p.m. each afternoon and are designed to help participants quit in one session per week, according to Reece.
The free classes are valued between $75-$125 and provide participants with a workbook, snacks and incentives at each session.
“We’ve been able to see success of participants that come through the classes,” Reece said. “It’s always a great time. The classes are designed to help people stop using tobacco products, even e–cigarettes.”
“Freedom From Smoking” is just another tool in the arsenal of local community organizations as Carter County works toward the status of becoming a Healthier Tennessee Community through the Governor’s Foundation for Health & Wellness.
As several groups look to implement healthier alternatives for residents, the designation by the Foundation could ultimately see the county and city receive grant funding, through Grow Carter County, to help implement ideas. The organization has already reaped benefits of the Foundation. Officials recently received funding for different projects, including installing water bottle refill stations at local schools, from just being recognized as a potential Healthier Community.
The partnership between the health department and CCDP has been a joy, according to Reece, with both organizations’ goals lining up to help residents steer clear from tobacco usage and substance abuse.
For more information, or to register, contact Reece at ccdpdirector@outlook.com or contact Jaime Lawson or Kelli Humphreys at the health department by calling (423) 543-2521. Lawson’s extension is 362 and Humphreys is 312.