?Beyond Tobacco? class next month

The first of a four-session tobacco cessation class entitled ?Beyond Tobacco? will be held at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Jefferson County Health Center boardroom.

The sessions will then be held on each consecutive Tuesday in September at the health center.

Based on American Cancer Society?s ?Freedom from Smoking? curriculum and offered in conjunction with the Jefferson County Tobacco-Free Coalition, the program has helped hundreds of area residents stop smoking and chewing tobacco over the past seven years.

Several area employers offer additional support to their employees who want to participate by sponsoring a medical consultation and quit smoking medication. These companies include Dexter, Agri-Industrial Plastics and Cambridge Investment Research.

?Tobacco users who want to quit have a lot of support in our community,? said course moderator John Revolinski. ?Thirteen area employers sponsor medication for smoking employees who want help quitting.?

During the series of classes participants set a ?quit date? and prepare for it by studying their habit and practicing alternatives to tobacco use.

?We teach them the four ?Ds,?? said Revolinski. ?Delay, distract, drink [water] and deep breathe. It is much more effective than just trying to quit ?cold turkey.??

According to Revolinski, up to 70 percent of past course participants were tobacco free at the end of the 14-week program.

?The group support is very helpful to anyone trying to break their habit,? Revolinski said, adding the program has been just as effective for tobacco chewers as smokers.

The Iowa Quitline, (800) 784-8669, offers another option to tobacco users who want to quit by providing personalized counseling.

?We encourage people in our class to be in touch with the quitline,? said Revolinski. ?When you are taking such a positive step for yourself, you need all the help you can get.?

For information on the ?Beyond Tobacco? program and to preregister, call (641) 209-2209.