500,000 NEW YORKERS STARTED SMOKING AGAIN IN THE PAST YEAR

[Emily Brown]

Health E-News May 2nd, 2007 500,000 NEW YORKERS STARTED SMOKING AGAIN IN THE PAST YEAR Quitting is easy, Mark Twain said - "I've done it a thousand times." More than half of New York City smokers tried to quit last year, but 80% of them - some 500,000 people - relapsed within three months. Fortunately, relapse doesn't mean failure. Quitting often requires several attempts, and nicotine replacement can double the chance of quitting successfully. To help smokers quit for good, the Health Department is giving away nicotine patches and gum for a limited time only. Callers to 311 have claimed more than 5,500 patches and almost 700 gum packets since the giveaway launched last week. Click here for more...

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