November 9, 2010 - The American Lung Association today released its third annual report Helping Smokers Quit: State Cessation Coverage 2010. The publication discusses the future of tobacco cessation and the role private insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, state employee plans, employers, health care professionals and quitlines will play in increasing access to smoking cessation services.

With the passage of health care reform the American Lung Association believes this is an historic opportunity to ensure all smokers have access to treatment. The report emphasizes the importance of combining medication and counseling to those seeking cessation services because it helps individuals overcome the social and behavioral aspects of quitting. This report provides media and policy makers with recent data on the important function smoking cessation services will serve in decreasing the smoking rate in the U.S. Helping smokers quit by proven smoking cessation treatments is critical if we want to ease the economic and health consequences of smoking.

For more information please visit:
http://www.lungusa.org/assets/documents/publications/smoking-cessation/helping-smokers-quit2010.pdf