Freedom from Smoking classes starting soon

Scholarships available for those who qualify

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. People who stop smoking can greatly reduce their risk for disease and early death.

To help those who are ready to quit, Cox Medical Center Branson has five Freedom from Smoking classes starting in September with morning, afternoon and evening times available as well as classes in Branson, Branson West and Crane.

“Our tobacco cessation program merges the best of the American Lung Association, which is the gold standard in Freedom from Smoking, with the incredible council you get from the Mayo Clinic and their certification program,” says Mayo Clinic Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist Jim Brawner.

The course includes eight sessions.

“The fourth class is our quit day,” Brawner explains. “Because the fourth session is so critical, the class meets again 48 hours after quit day for our fifth session. We spend the first three weeks training people how to quit and the last three weeks is teaching them how to stay quit. The program works. We’ve seen a lot of lives change throughout the past three years since we have been offering it.”

The class is $95 and includes materials and nicotine replacement therapies. Scholarships are available.

Brawner also offers a corporate class to businesses that would like to make Freedom from Smoking classes available to their employees.

Call Jim Brawner at 348-8498 or email James.Brawner@CoxHealth.com to register or learn more.