If you’re thinking about quitting tobacco (including traditional cigarettes, smokeless products, vapes and more), Nov. 17 is a good day to start.

The Great American Smokeout, held every year on the third Thursday in November, is your opportunity to take advantage of U-M’s free cessation services to quit tobacco for good.

The Cost of Tobacco

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the country. It is directly connected to nearly 500,000 U.S. deaths each year. This translates to one in five deaths in the U.S.

In addition to the physical effects of tobacco, users feel it in their wallets, too. If you smoke a pack of traditional cigarettes each day, you’ll spend about $165 monthly and $2,007 in a year. Although vaping is less costly, a recent study found that aside from the cost of supplies, users also spend $2,000 more annually in extra health care costs.

Free From Tobacco

There’s another reason Nov. 17 is the perfect day to quit. As part of its efforts to enhance health and well-being across its campuses, U-M will enact a Tobacco-Free University Premises policy in correlation with the Great American Smokeout. As of Nov. 17,  the following methods of tobacco delivery will be prohibited: 

• electronic nicotine delivery systems, or ENDS, battery-powered devices used to smoke or “vape” chemical solutions that usually include tobacco. Examples are vapes, vape pens, e-cigarettes, e-cigars and hookah pens.

• smokeless tobacco products, commonly called dip, chew, snuff and snus

• traditional cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, hookah and little cigars

The Tobacco-Free University Premises policy will prohibit the use of tobacco products in university buildings, facilities and grounds, as well as university-owned vehicles.

Be a Quitter

Whether your quit date is Nov. 17, earlier or later, you don’t have to go it alone. U-M offers a number of programs and resources to help, including:

MHealthy Tobacco Consultation Service (TCS) 

Get free, one-on-one individual counseling focused on the body, mind, and social reasons for using tobacco. This service is available to faculty and staff, and their spouses or other qualified adults. For more information, call Tobacco Consultation Service at (734) 998-6222 or visit the website.

Free Cessation Medication

Eligible U-M drug plan members who want to quit tobacco can get prescription and over-the-counter smoking cessation medications like nicotine gum, patches and lozenges with no copay.   

Virtual Quit Kit

This “virtual” quit kit includes helpful information and tools to help you ‘Quit for A Day.’

Tobacco I.Q. Online Challenge

Think you know the truth about tobacco? Find the right answers to tobacco-related myths and misconceptions by taking the Tobacco I.Q. Online Challenge. The quiz only takes a few minutes and tests your knowledge about smoking, quitting, vaping and more. You might be surprised at what you learn!

For More Info…

View more tobacco-related resources, as well as details about the Tobacco-Free University Premises policy.