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Health, Safety & Work-Life Directorate

Office of Work-Life Programs -
Tobacco Cessation Programpicture of a broken cigarette

Who is Eligible for this Program?
The Tobacco Cessation Program is available to the following members of Team Coast Guard:

Purpose of Program
Tobacco use remains the number one cause of preventable death in the United States and a major risk factor in many chronic illnesses. The Health Promotion Program recognizes that tobacco dependence is a chronic condition that often requires repeated intervention before life long freedom from nicotine dependence is achieved. For this reason, the HP Program has partnered with The Mayo Clinic Tobacco Quitline (MCTQ) to provide counseling and nicotine replacement therapy for eligible participants.

The Mayo Clinic Tobacco Quitline for the Coast Guard
By calling today, active duty members, their dependents, reservists and civilian employees of the Coast Guard can begin their journey to a tobacco free life. Mayo Clinic counselors trained in nicotine addiction will help callers determine their readiness to quit, develop and individualized quit plan including treatment recommendations and provide on-going support throughout the quit process. If treatment recommendations include the use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) such as patches, gum or lozenges, those products can be mailed to the enrollee at no cost. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions about the MCTQ.

To enroll in the MCTQ, call 1-888-642-5566 TODAY!

 Frequently Asked Questions about the Mayo Clinic Tobacco Quitline

Program Confidentiality
Discussion concerning tobacco use and names of individuals’ seeking or on treatment are confidential between the patient, the primary care provider, and/or the Health Promotion Manager (HPM) involved.

Services and Resources Available
In addition to the Mayo Clinic Tobacco Quitline, Regional Health Promotions Managers can also offer unit-wide tobacco cessation education and training upon request. HPMs also maintain a library of tobacco cessation educational materials and a resource list for services outside of the CG.

Facts about Quitting Smoking
Quitting smoking today can dramatically improve the overall health of a tobacco user in the days, weeks and months to follow. Here are some examples of what a quitter will experience:

Coast Guard Policies Regarding Tobacco Use
It is Coast Guard policy to discourage the use of all forms of tobacco products and to protect non-users from exposure to ETS and unsanitary conditions created by the use of spit tobacco. The use of any tobacco product in public detracts from a sharp military appearance and is discouraged. Where conflicts arise between the rights of non-tobacco users and tobacco users, the rights of the non-tobacco user shall prevail.

The entire CG Tobacco Use Policy can be found in Chapter 3 of the Coast Guard Health Promotion Manual - COMDTINST M6200.1A

Requesting Services or Resources
These services or resources can be obtained by contacting the Health Promotion Manager or EAP counselor on your Regional Work-Life Staff. Personnel experiencing stress/problems associated with tobacco cessation can also contact the Employee Assistance Program Coordinator on the Work-Life Staff. Work-Life Staffs are located at Integrated Support Commands CG-wide and at the Headquarters Support Command.

Program References
The following references provide details of the Tobacco Cessation Program:

Related Web Sites
The following web sites provide information related to the Tobacco Cessation Program:

Point of Contact
If you are unable to contact the Health Promotions Manager on your Regional Work-Life Staff, or need additional assistance beyond the information provided here, please contact the Headquarters Health Promotions Program Manager, LT Tim Merrell at (202) 475-5146, fax (202) 475-5907, or e-mail at Timothy.M.Merrell@uscg.mil.

Last Modified 8/5/2008