Archived: Adults who smoke cigarettes

Tobacco use remains the number one preventable cause of early death in Washington. It is associated with more than half of the top 10 leading causes of death including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Nearly 8,000 people die every year in Washington from tobacco-related illnesses.

In 2014, about 16% of adults in Washington smoked. This number is much higher in certain groups identified by their race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, income-level or zipcode. For more information read:  Tobacco-Related Disparities in Washington State.

Helping people quit.

• Maintaining the Washington Tobacco Quitline: 1-800-QUIT-NOW or 1-800-784-8669.
• Implementing SmartQuit , our new, free research-based Smartphone app to help people stop smoking. This program was created by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is three times more effective than trying to quit on your own. We have 1900 free downloads through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Creating smoke-free places.

• Working with landlords to increase the percentage of comprehensive smoking bans in public housing.
• Educating communities about enforcing state law and the importance of smoke-free public places like worksites, public housing, schools, colleges, and parks.

Try to stop smoking and encourage your friends and family who smoke to do the same.

If you need help quitting, call the Washington State Quitline at 1-800-784-8669 or visit our website. You can also download the new SmartQuit App through our website.