Calling All Veterans, Retirees, and Their Families to Quit Tobacco

As we honor our Nation's Veterans this Veterans Day, there is even more cause for celebration.

Veterans enrolled in the VA Health Care System, retirees, and their family members can get all the quit tobacco benefits previously available only to active-duty military personnel at the DoD Quit Tobacco—Make Everyone Proud campaign Web site, http://www.ucanquit2.org. This means that even more people can get the help they need to become tobacco-free, once and for all. Spouses, relatives, or friends of those trying to leave tobacco behind can do a lot to help them succeed. The Quit Tobacco Web site answers questions on how to provide support.

One of the highlights of the Quit Tobacco Web site is Train2Quit, a confidential, interactive system that can double your chances of successfully quitting. Train2Quit offers self-assessment questionnaires, a custom quit plan with a calendar to track progress, and tips on how to beat cravings, overcome weight gain, and cope with the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

The Quit Tobacco Web site also includes help from trained tobacco quit coaches via internet chat, peer support, games, and a savings calculator to see how much extra cash you can save and accumulate over time.

Non-Medicare-eligible beneficiaries can receive assistance with quitting smoking through TRICARE®'s toll-free Smoking Quitline, in each TRICARE region, available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year.

Extending the Quit Tobacco services to these new audiences underscores the DoD, TRICARE, and Department of Veterans Affairs’ commitment to military personnel and their families throughout the entire continuum of service.

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