(And 5 Worst)
The place where you live has a huge impact on your lifestyle. If you’re trying your very best to quit smoking today, sometimes a little effort is necessary to overcome the addiction and become smoke-free for the rest of your life. Taking time to travel or perhaps find a new place could help you quit smoking now. In a study sponsored by the American Lung Association, scientists compared smoking cessation by states and found that some states are conducive for smokers trying to stop the bad habit. Based on their findings, here are the top 5 most quit-friendly states:
- Maine
- North Dakota
- Delaware
- Oklahoma
- Wyoming
What makes them quit-smoking friendly?
According to the report, these states are considered the best places for smokers trying to quit because their local governments are in full force of implementing stop-smoking policies. These include allocating funding for quit-smoking programs, requiring private health insurance companies and Medicaid to cover smoking cessation treatments, and making sure that those with low income are benefited by the said programs. These states have smoking cessation hotlines that are available for everyone who are seeking for advice and consultations.
Every year, there are 193 billion dollars spent on health and productivity losses due to smoking. Being the only legal addictive and completely hazardous drug, government intervention is necessary to decrease the growing number of smokers in the country and hopefully, reduce the amount of money spent on them.
The study found that implementing policies to promote a smoke-free environment has significant positive impact not just on healthy of the citizens but also to the state economy. For instance, in Massachusetts, the local government created anti-smoking policies and quit-smoking programs in 2006. In 2010, researches reviewed the changes made and measured its impact. They found that the risk of hospitalization due to heart attacks decreased by 46 percent. Also, more than half of smokers attempted to quit. The researchers believe that with continued support, more smokers will be encouraged to stop smoking for good.
Worst states for smoking cessation
The report also cited the 5 states that exerted the least effort in helping smokers quit. They are the following:
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Alabama
- Maryland
- New Jersey.
They were considered the poorest states when it comes to smoking cessation because little if no governmental intervention is done to address smoking problems. So if you’re trying to quit smoking today and probably looking to travel and give yourself time to think and relax, maybe you can skip these states for now.
Quitting smoking today is probably the best thing you can do for your health. But the addictive substance found in tobacco keeps pushing you to light up over and over again. There are quit smoking treatments however that can assist you in this undertaking. By talking to your doctor today, you will be able to find the most appropriate smoking cessation methods available for you.
