New Partners for Tobacco Cessation

Meeting people where they are

We are excited to have a new partnership to support tobacco cessation with Feeding Chittenden in Burlington, a food pantry that helps over 12,000 people each year, and a hot meal program serving 11,000 people in our communities to provide access to nourishing food.

While Vermont has made great progress over the years to reduce the negative impacts and rates of tobacco and nicotine use, we still have a long way to go, especially among many underserved individuals or groups that have poorer health outcomes. 

Data from the 2021 VT Adult Tobacco Survey showed that 26% of adult Vermonters who live below the 250% of the federal poverty level currently smoke cigarettes. This rate is 3x the rate of those with income over the federal poverty guideline. The 2022 survey showed that about 10% of VT Adults with private insurance report smoking, but Vermonters with Medicaid smoke at nearly 2 times that rate (19%) and uninsured Vtermonters smoke at more than 4 times that rate (44%) despite evidence showing that many Vermonters with lower income have a strong desire to quit smoking.

To increase access to resources to quit, BPHC has been excited to work with Feed Chittenden this year to host monthly tables to give out tobacco and nicotine cessation resources at their food pantry and hot meal program. We give out “Quit Kits” that are chock full of distraction tools, tips, emotional support and local resources, like 802Quits and My Life My Quit. Tools that have been proven to increase successful quit attempts. We love that we are starting to see repeat faces at our tabling, with people approaching to share their stories and reasons for quitting. We’ve had wonderful conversations with patrons sharing why they are taking a Quit Kit for themselves or for someone close to them. Engaging with people at a place they are used to where they feel comfortable is helping us build trust over time and interest in new quit attempts. 

We would also like to extend a special thanks to Edi Abenato, Feeding Chittenden's grocery distribution coordinator, who has been working at Feeding Chittenden for over 15 years! Edi has been a tremendous help to create space and interest in this new resource! 

To learn more about Feeding Chittenden visit https://feedingchittenden.org. 

We’ve also been working closely with SASH (Support and Services Home) and Champlain Housing Trust Management at their Multi-Unit Housing Laurentide in Burlington to support residents on their cessation journey. This initiative holds immense significance for us, as it not only aids residents in quitting smoking but also educates them about the detrimental effects of second-hand smoke on the health of non-smokers residing within the residences. This includes vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, and individuals with certain health conditions. 

The statistics are alarming: among adults who do not smoke, secondhand smoke causes nearly 34,000 premature deaths from heart disease each year in the U.S. Given the number of people in our community living in apartments, we are concerned about the harms of secondhand smoke exposure that happen from shared air spaces in buildings through walls and air vents. The healthcare costs directly caused by smoking in Vermont amount to $404 million a year, with Medicaid costs totaling $93.7 million. 

Through the dedicated efforts of SASH coordinator Eilis Mooney, we've been able to distribute our Quit Kits and other cessation materials at resident meetings and also set up a resource table in their lobby. The goal is to make cessation easy and accessible in a place where residents already feel comfortable - their own home! It looks like it worked too. All the kits we put out were gone within a week! 

There has been a lot of demand for our Quit Kits, that we have been able to tailor for a variety of populations.

If you work locally and would like 802Quits or My Life My Quit brochures or Quit Kits for your business, program, or organization reach out! We’ll help you find what you need and our staff are available to help talk through how to get the people you work with the support they need.