Dear Public Service Director,

The holiday season is traditionally a time when people consider making resolutions for New Year's – to lose weight, to exercise more, or to stop smoking. We would like your assistance with that last resolution – helping people “commit to quit” in 2013 by running the smoking cessation PSAs available via download in this email.

These PSAs are part of the national tobacco education campaign called Tips From Former Smokers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The campaign has been an enormous success in its first year. There was a 132% increase in calls to the National Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW), and the number of people who visited the website www.smokefree.com rose by 428% compared to calls and site visits during the same period in 2011. We have no doubt that this campaign is making an impact and improving the health of people across the nation.

If you have run these PSAs in the past, thank you – you are part of the campaign's success. If you haven't run them, why not start now? Click here to preview and download.

There is still a lot of work to do. More than 400,000 people die annually from tobacco in the United States alone. Many Americans still do not understand the full extent of the health damage that smoking can cause. In addition, half of U.S. children are exposed to secondhand smoke. The good news is that three out of four smokers say they want to quit, and half make a serious attempt every year, often around milestone dates such as New Year's. These PSAs might help people take that first step to quitting for good.

The first PSA is an inspiring montage of former smokers sharing tips on what worked to help them quit. The second one tells the story of a mother whose son's severe asthma was triggered by secondhand smoke exposure. Please consider putting these PSAs into your rotation, and together we can help save lives and improve the health of people in your communities. Thank you so much for your support!

Diane Beistle, Chief, Health Communications Branch
Office on Smoking and Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention