Become a Non-Smoker: Improving Access to Services Smokers Need to Quit

The University of Kentucky Center for Rural Health proposes to expand an existing smoking-cessation program by providing new incentives to improve access to services smokers need to quit to the underinsured or otherwise disadvantaged rural residents of Perry County, Kentucky. Tobacco use is one of the state's biggest cancer related challenges. The Kentucky River Area Development District covers Breathitt, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Owsley, Perry and Wolfe counties. The problem is that Kentucky River has one of the nation's highest smoking rates. Barriers for people to stop smoking, especially for poor rural people, include lack of knowledge about services, inadequate information on their own conditions, social and cultural inhibitors, lack of money (they can't afford the nicotine replacement supplements), no support group, no structured and consistent expert assistance, no continuity of support - 12 week program but some have a need for continual support and multiple stressors like poverty and poor health. To address this problem the UK Center for Rural Health, UK Family Practice Clinic and Residency, UK Dental Residency, Kentucky Homeplace and the Kentucky Cancer Program came together. Each organization trained employees on the Cooper-Clayton Method at their own expense so they could have staff for continual training sessions. Radio advertisement was purchased to encourage people to participate in the program; however there are still barriers due to funding needed to purchase additional advertising, nicotine patches, or incentives to keep people involved.