Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   The heart of Free & Clear’s mission has always been to address chronic disease through health behavior change. As a national leader in tobacco cessation, our goal for the last 20 years has been to help employers build a healthier, more prod... [More]

Kristine Carabeo, Quit Coach, Service Delivery:   When talking with people who are trying to quit smoking, I often hear someone say that they are happy that they have “cut back” on their smoking. And cutting back on how many cigarettes you smoke each day is definitely a gre... [More]

Allegra Wiborg, Quit Coach, Service Delivery:   I may be biased, but I think Quit Coaches are an elite crew. We’re creative, caring, good question-askers and good listeners. We are able to respond to changing situations as they unfold in every call. Quitting smoking is a ch... [More]

Crystal Mackay, Quit Coach, Service Delivery:   Most people think of their quit buddy as being someone who they are quitting with. Pretty simple right? It definitely can be if you know how that quit buddy relationship is going to play out. In my experience as a Quit Coach, I have ... [More]

Ken Wassum, Senior Product Manager   We have become somewhat numb to the fact that 440,000 Americans a year die from a preventable cause – cigarette smoking. That’s 1,200 deaths per day. Use whatever analogy you want -- 48 Amtrak accidents per day where 25 die, 3 fully load... [More]

Gillian Schauer, Program Manager, Tobacco Cessation Resource Center:   Washington State celebrated a great achievement last week: the smoking rate for adults has continued to drop over the past year. Now, only about 16.5 percent of all adults in Washington smoke, according to the Washin... [More]

Erin Lavery, Senior Supervisor, Service Delivery:   Sometimes, the last thing our participants want to hear from a helping professional is, “I know how you feel.” It makes them wonder if we really do. Even though many of us have quit in our past, we are separated from that ... [More]

Crystal Mackay, Quit Coach, Service Delivery:   I was calling a program participant for one of her regularly scheduled, follow-up support calls. Like usual, I introduced myself & where I was calling from. I asked how the participant was doing & she replied with something like, ... [More]

Kim Crossen, Quit Coach, Service Delivery:   It never ceases to boggle my mind how thin the line is between life and death. While people can survive an astonishing amount of pain and physical trauma, it can take something as small as a glance away from the road or the tiniest amount of... [More]

Allegra Wiborg, Quit Coach, Service Delivery:   Today I spoke with a participant who described her past quit attempts as a string of failures. This is something I hear a lot in my job. “My past quits were a waste of time.” “I flunked.” “Every time I’... [More]