Teenagers may soon be receiving more texts.
But instead of messages detailing what time to meet their friends at the mall, these texts are aimed at helping them give up smoking.
The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness rolled out a program Tuesday morning that will use daily texting to remind teens to stop smoking or not to pick up the habit at all.
Known Health department director Dr. Adewale Troutman said at a downtown press conference that the ButtOut Program is just one more step in promoting healthier lifestyles among young people.
Troutman told those gathered that Kentucky ranks worst of all 50 states in the percentage of smokers between the ages of 12 to 17, according to a report released this year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
?There is a need for us to address this issue as early as we possibly can,? he said. Troutman also said the program is a useful alternative to other quitting methods for teens because some options or devices such as nicotine patches or gum are not available to minors.
The program works by texting KY to 30644. Teenagers then will receive three text messages daily reminding them not to pick up a cigarette or cigar. Participants also can sign up by visiting www.buttoutlouisville.com or calling 574-STOP (7867).
An example of one text reads: ?U may feel mad, sad, anxious, sleepy or cranky. U may have headaches or nightmares. THIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY!?
Troutman said the texts will address teens who are trying to quit smoking and experiencing withdrawal as well as teens who are thinking of starting. It is also available for adults, but the ButtOut texts for the teens will be a little more ?gritty? and aggressive, said Ellie Schweizer, community health supervisor for the department?s tobacco prevention and secession program.
She said more than 190 text messages will be used.
There is no cost to sign up for the program, but only individuals with unlimited text plans will result in no fees through their cell phone provider. Though it could prove pricey for individuals who have to pay for each text.
(2 of 2)To promote the anti-smoking program, Schweizer enlisted rappers Ron Clutch and B. Stille, of the Kentucky hip hop group Nappy Roots. Both spoke at the press conference.
?We?ve always been concerned with the young people, especially in Kentucky,? B. Stille said about his fellow group members. ?It?s a shame what the statistics show.?
The CDC also reported that 61 percent of teens who smoke have tried to quit, but only 12 percent were successful, according to information released by the health department.
B. Stille said he and the group are planning appearances at schools and radio messages to help get the word out about the program.
The program will also use a group of high school students from Fern Creek and Iroquois high schools, called the ButtOut Squad, to spread the message. Several members of the squad were at the announcement Tuesday, including Fern Creek senior Elizabeth Morrow.
Morrow said she knows how difficult it can be to stop smoking.
She went through withdrawals when she quit and said a program like ButtOut would have been helpful. ?It would have made it easier,? she said.
Reporter Chris Quay can be reached at (502) 582-4241.
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