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Everyone knows that quitting smoking is hard. Trying to quit without the right resources and the support of family and friends can be next to impossible. Loved ones can play a vital role in helping a smoker take this life-saving step. In fact, a recent survey found that 51 percent of current smokers said the positive support of family and friends would make it easier for them to consider quitting.
To help family and friends of smokers talk to their loved ones about quitting, Hallmark Cards, Inc. together with GlaxoSmith- Kline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare has developed a greeting card specifically designed to start this important dialogue. The stop-smoking greeting cards are offered exclusively at www.Way2Support.com. Loved ones can choose from two card designs, which can be further customized with a supportive message from the gift giver. Each card comes with a $50 gift certificate good towards therapeutic nicotine products such as the gum, patch and lozenge, which have shown to double a smoker's chances of quitting over cold turkey and help wean a smoker off his or her addiction gradually, allowing the smoker to focus on changing his or her smoking habits.
The card has already proven to be motivating for smokers-when adult smokers interested in quitting were asked what they would do if they received this card, the percent who said they would try to quit in the next month tripled (from 19 percent to 58 percent).
"Three-quarters of smokers want to quit, and our mission is to find ways to help them succeed," said Bill Slivka, Vice President, Smoking Control, GSK Consumer Healthcare. "Friends and loved ones of smokers have a key role to play in helping smokers quit, but knowing how to help can be tough."
The greeting card is part of the Way2Support program, designed specifically to help friends and family of smokers offer the smoker in their life the support needed to make a successful quit attempt. Smokers need access to a broad range of tools to help them quit-from products that reduce symptoms to counseling programs that give them the practical tools to stay smoke-free.
By: Stacey Moore
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