Health Promotion Office to offer tobacco cessation classes Published April 30, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Ryan Sparks 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. -- The Health Promotion Office (formerly Health and Wellness Center) here is scheduled to offer a four-week tobacco cessation class beginning at 11 a.m. May 5 at the Fitness Center. Denae Grove, 319th Medical Operations Squadron health promotion coordinator, is scheduled to teach one class a week for the next four weeks using the American Cancer Society FreshStart curriculum. The course focuses on four steps to help the cessation process: deciding to quit, planning to quit, your quit day and staying quit. Grove had to take a course to become a certified facilitator for FreshStart. The classes are open to active-duty service members, military dependents, National Guardsmen, reservists, retired military personnel and Department of Defense civilians. Participants will also have access to nicotine replacement therapy options such as nicotine gum and prescriptions designed to help with cessation. "The support they get from each other is big," said Grove. Grove said most people already know that tobacco is harmful. She feels that the class will provide a support group and plan to increase the chances of successful cessation. Grand Forks AFB updated the designated tobacco areas (DTA) in the fall of 2014 to comply with AFI 40-102. The 33 DTAs limit the areas where tobacco can be used on base. Grove feels that the changing Air Force policy is another reason to try to quit. "The entire community is becoming much more tobacco-free," said Grove. Those interested in attending the classes can sign up at the Health Promotion Office located in the Fitness Center, said Grove. They can also call her at 701-747-6112 to sign up or ask any questions about quitting.