ENROLLED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 182
BY REPRESENTATIVE ARNOLD
A RESOLUTION
To proclaim the first week in November as Krewe de Quit Week in an effort to promote
smoking cessation in Louisiana.
WHEREAS, tobacco use is the most preventable cause of disease, disability, and
death in the United States, yet over one quarter of adults in Louisiana smoke; and
WHEREAS, in Louisiana, an estimated seven thousand two hundred adults die
annually of diseases caused by their own smoking, and approximately one thousand children
and adults die each year as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke; and
WHEREAS, the economic burden of smoking in the United States is immense, as
the total economic costs related to smoking in this country exceed three hundred billion
dollars annually, including one hundred seventy billion dollars spent annually on direct
medical care for adults with smoking-related illnesses; and
WHEREAS, nearly seven in ten adult smokers would like to quit smoking, and over
fifty-six percent of Louisiana smokers have made a quit attempt within the past year; and
WHEREAS, smokers desiring to quit should have access to approved therapies such
as counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, and pharmaceutical interventions, as well as
multiple channels for outreach and support; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana residents may be unaware of the smoking cessation
treatments and services available to them to help them quit, or lack the support they need in
order to successfully quit; and
WHEREAS, smoking cessation treatment options are available to eligible Louisiana
residents through the Smoking Cessation Trust, which provides cessation medications,
counseling, telephone quit-line support, and intensive cessation support services at no cost
to participants; and
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WHEREAS, Krewe de Quit is a Louisiana smoking cessation campaign that
introduces smokers and their supporters to Louisiana's smoking cessation resources and
gives healthcare providers valuable smoking cessation tools; and
WHEREAS, by joining the Krewe, Louisiana smokers can build support among
family members and friends who can keep them inspired and motivated during their efforts
to quit, as well as find tools to help them to plan their quitting and to register for the free
services of the Smoking Cessation Trust; and
WHEREAS, by providing smokers with the support needed to help them quit, Krewe
de Quit aims to reduce the rate of smoking among adults in Louisiana to twenty-one percent
by 2017; and
WHEREAS, efforts to promote smoking cessation are vital to protecting public
health and promoting wellness in our beloved state.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby proclaim the first week in November as Krewe de Quit
Week in an effort to promote smoking cessation in Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the Legislature
of Louisiana does hereby encourage Louisianians who have a desire to beat an addiction to
cigarettes to visit www.SmokeFreeLA.org to learn how the trust can help them in their
efforts to live smoke-free.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to the chairperson of the board and the executive director of the Smoking Cessation Trust.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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