The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) successful Tips From Former Smokers^® (Tips^®) campaign returns today with new ads encouraging people who smoke to quit. This year, the Tips ads feature seven new people sharing their stories about how cigarette smoking and smoking-related diseases have negatively impacted their lives. Many of these new ads include messaging about the harms of menthol cigarettes, which can contribute to tobacco-related health disparities.

The Tips campaign has had significant and sustained impact over the past decade, helping millions of U.S. adults to quit smoking or try to quit. Year after year, the Tips campaign has proven its effectiveness while promoting a range of quit services. Each year when the Tips campaign is on air, there is an immediate and dramatic spike in calls to 1-800-QUIT-NOW, and visits to the campaign website.

“The Tips campaign motivates people to quit smoking by sharing real stories of people who smoked and the challenges of living with smoking-related diseases.” said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, PhD, MPH, Director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. “We want people to know that no matter who you are, where you live, or how much money you make, quitting smoking is possible, and there are free resources to help.”

This year’s Tips campaign ads will run fromFebruary 5 through September 22 on national cable and network television, and digital video, display, search and social media platforms. The 2024 Tips campaign includes seven new people:

• Angie P. smoked menthol cigarettes because she thought it would help her cope with the fear that people around her would not accept that she is gay. She wants to encourage other LGBTQ+ people who smoke to love themselves and get the help they need to quit.
• Elizabeth B. and Stephen B. Elizabeth smoked menthol cigarettes for 35 years. She has smoking-related peripheral artery disease (PAD), which makes walking difficult and sometimes painful. She also developed kidney cancer. Her husband, Stephen, helps take care of her.
• Ethan B. Ethan smoked menthol cigarettes for 39 years. He grew up seeing ads that convinced him smoking menthol cigarettes was “cool.” As an adult, he had multiple smoking-related strokes.
• John B. smoked for 22 years. He tried several different ways to quit smoking, but nothing seemed to work. He kept trying and was successful when he found the methods that worked best for him. Those methods were counseling and two quit-smoking medicines.
• Noel S. smoked menthol cigarettes for more than 20 years. He suffered a smoking-related heart attack at age 36. Noel quit smoking so he could be around to watch his younger family members grow up.
• Tammy W. ate healthy, exercised regularly, and ran marathons. She thought that menthol cigarettes were less harmful than non-menthol cigarettes. At age 44, she had severe heart disease and needed open heart surgery.

Quitting Smoking Is Possible and Beneficial at Any Age

Cigarette smoking causes nearly a half-a-million deaths in the U.S. every year, and more than 16 million Americans live with a smoking-related illness. An estimated 142,800 adults in Alaska are at risk for poor health outcomes due to tobacco and 490 residents die every year from smoking-related diseases.

Locally, the Yukon Kuskokwim’s Tobacco Prevention Program currently has 460 patients in their yearlong tobacco cessation program.  The robust program provides counseling and all seven FDA approved medications to treat nicotine dependence and reduce withdrawal symptoms. 

The Yukon Kuskokwim health Corporation (YKHC) supports tobacco-free events and spaces that protect the public from second hand smoke exposure and reduce the normalization of these deadly tobacco products. 

YKHC also works to increase awareness of quitting tobacco resources and motivates people who want to quit throughout the YK Delta.   YKHC is committed to connecting Alaskans who use tobacco and want to quit with free resources that can help them stop using tobacco. If you would like to learn more options for quitting tobacco, contact YKHC Tobacco Cessation Program at 907-543-6312.

Additionally, mass-reach health education campaigns, like Tips, help people quit smoking and improve their health, and reduce healthcare spending. Nearly 70% of U.S. adults who smoke say they want to quit and people who smoke who have seen Tips ads report greater intentions to quit within the next 30 days. Those who have seen the ads multiple times have even greater intentions to quit.

Quitting smoking can be hard, but it is possible. For free help, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or text QUITNOW to 333888 for help in English or text DÉJELO YA to 333888 for help in Spanish; or visit www.cdc.gov/quit.

For more information about the Tips campaign, including real stories from people who used to smoke, other campaign resources, and links to the ads, visit www.cdc.gov/Tips.