Quit Week, an annual initiative encouraging people to seek help with ending their tobacco and nicotine use, has returned to North Dakota for its fifth year. Kailee Dvorak, a Grand Forks Public Health nurse in the Tobacco Prevention Program, emphasized the importance of quitting commercial tobacco for improving health. She believes that connecting people to resources to kick the nicotine habit is beneficial for the state. According to the most recent North Dakota Health and Human Services data, in 2021, 15% of the state’s adult population were cigarette smokers, 6.1% used smokeless tobacco, and 3.9% used electronic nicotine devices. Additionally, 5.9% of high school students smoked cigarettes in 2021.
This year’s Quit Week is scheduled for June 9-15 and is organized by Tobacco Free North Dakota, North Dakota Health and Human Services, and local public health units across the state. Residents are encouraged to set a quit date for their tobacco or nicotine use and create a quit plan with their health care providers and pharmacists. One option for support is NDQuits, a free program available by phone and online with Mayo Clinic-trained counselors in North Dakota. The program serves over 3,000 people annually, offering personal coaching and nicotine replacement therapy medications. Participants may also qualify for free nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges.
NDQuits is the primary resource promoted during Quit Week because combining counseling with FDA-approved tobacco treatment medications can significantly increase the chances of successfully quitting nicotine addictions. Sav Kelly joined the Grand Forks Herald in August 2022, covering public safety topics such as regional crime and the court system. Kelly can be reached at (701) 780-1102 or skelly@gfherald.com.