Quit Smoking This Mother's Day and Celebrate the Gift of Life

SAN DIEGO, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- May 8, 2007 -- Finding the right way to thank mom this Mother's Day might be to quit smoking. More meaningful than a card or a store-bought gift and, perhaps, the best present she'll ever receive is for you to give up smoking.

"Your mother gave you the gift of life, here's a time to make the most of it," said Gary Tedeschi, PhD, clinical director, of the 1-800-NO-BUTTS helpline. "This Mother's Day, give your mom thanks by quitting smoking. Choosing a date to quit is your first step, and there are many professionals who can help you through the process."

The 1-800-NO-BUTTS helpline is a free, professional and confidential telephone service, which has been proven to double a person's chance to successfully quit smoking. Whether you are currently addicted to tobacco, have already quit or want information for a friend or relative, Californians can call for information and learn the various ways to stop smoking. The service also helps individuals quit chewing tobacco and has experts who can work with teen smokers.

"For women who are pregnant, or thinking about becoming a mom soon, quitting smoking will help reduce the risk of health complications for you and your baby," said Tedeschi.

"Quitting smoking not only benefits your health, but your wallet as well," said Kirsten Hansen, outreach coordinator, 1-800-NO-BUTTS. "For a person who smokes a pack a day, you'll save nearly $1600 in your first year of quitting."

Studies conducted by researchers at 1-800-NO-BUTTS have shown that smokers who used the telephone counseling service were twice as likely to quit smoking as those who tried to quit on their own.

"We provide services in six different languages, and the counseling is designed to help people prepare to quit and then follow them through the first part of their quit attempt, which can often be very difficult to do without some support," said Tedeschi.

In addition to telephone counseling, 1-800-NO-BUTTS offers quitting information, advice and resources on its Web site, www.NoButts.org. It also recommends www.TobaccoFreeCA.com, a resource for quitting smoking and eliminating tobacco everywhere in our daily lives.

Contact Information: Contact: California Smokers' Helpline Kirsten Hansen (858) 300-1012