It Takes Strength . . . To Quit Published July 1, 2010 By Diane Mayer TriWest Healthcare Alliance GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- There are more than 1,000 people who die every day in the U.S. And these people could have prevented their deaths. That's because those 1,000 people died from tobacco-caused diseases, the leading reason for preventable death in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association. The key here is that these deaths are preventable. The power lies in your hands. "My dad smoked his entire life and I think that smoking is what, in fact, killed him eventually. But I wasn't thinking about that. I just thought it was a cool thing to do and I wanted to smoke too," said Navy Surgeon General Vice Admiral Adam M. Robinson in a video interview posted on TRICARE's Tobacco-Free website. "The reason I stopped smoking was because of my patients . . . Kicking an addiction is probably among the strongest things that we will ever do." Ready to Quit? When you are ready to quit using tobacco, TRICARE and TriWest have tools to help you succeed. · www.ucanquit2.org: The site offers interactive, Web-based tobacco cessation training, real-time live encouragement with trained tobacco cessation coaches, quit plan and calendar, text quit tips, savings calculator, games, and much more. · great online resources including web chat · TriWest's dedicated toll-free telephone Quitline, 1-866-244-6870, is available 24/7/365 · TriWest.com's tobacco cessation page, www.triwest.com/tobacco, provides information about local (MTF) and statewide resources as well as tools and tips to help you quit. · TRICARE's Tobacco-Free website, www.tricare.mil/tobaccofree TriWest Tobacco Quitline - 1-866-244-6870 When you are ready to quit smoking, help is only a phone call away. · Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays · Speak with a trained smoking cessation coach who will assess each individual's stage of the smoking cessation process and recommend appropriate treatment and resources to quit smoking or remain smoke free · All non-Medicare eligible beneficiaries can receive assistance · This telephone line is NOT a counseling service TRICARE and TriWest want you be to be a successful quitter. It all boils down to choice. Imagine a world where you have the freedom to choose to live longer . . .get help today.