VCU Massey Cancer Center’s Cancer Research and Resource Center of Southern Virginia has partnered with Virginia Department of Health to promote the “Quit Now Virginia” tobacco cessation program.

Sarah Birckhead, regional coordinator for tobacco control at the Virginia Department of Health and Teya Whitehead, coordinator at the Cancer Research and Resource Center met with Dr. William Harrison, medical doctor at the Brunswick Family Practice, to review the program, according to a press release from the center.

The doctor’s office located at 319 West Church St., as well as the center located at 221 N. Main St. both in Lawrenceville, are now participating as fax referral sites for the Quit Now Virginia program. They will enroll tobacco users in the program. A Quit Coach will contact you and will help you become an expert in living without tobacco.

The program realizes that on an average it may take up to or more than eight attempts to quit.  If you did quit your savings over a 10 year period smoking a pack a day would be $21,840, stated the release.

With those savings, you could add to your retirement account, add to a college fund or take a couple of nice vacations.  More important the average smoker will gain up to three hours a day by quitting according to the American Cancer Society.

The National Cancer Institute states those who quit between the ages of 25 and 34 years lived about 10 years longer; those who quit between ages 35 and 44 lived about 9 years longer; those who quit between ages 45 and 54 lived about 6 years longer; and those who quit between ages 55 and 64 lived about 4 years longer.

To get additional information, feel free to stop by the above locations, visit the Quit Now website at www.quitnow.net/virginia or call 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669).

The Center can be reached at 434-532-8190, email tjwhitehead@vcu.edu.