South Carolina Medicaid: Tobacco cessation

Smoking/using cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco:

• Can cause or worsen diseases or conditions, such as asthma or cancer
• Exposes anyone near you to secondhand smoke
• Harms nearly every organ of the body
• Is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)^2,3, in 2018, the last year for which data is available:

• 18 percent of adults in South Carolina smoked cigarettes⁴
• Nearly 14 of every 100 U.S. adults (an estimated 34.2 million adults) 18 and older smoked cigarettes
• More than 16 million Americans lived with a smoking-related disease
• Thousands of young people started smoking every day – a fact that anecdotal evidence finds occurs still today
  • In 2017, 21.6 percent of South Carolina youth reported using any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, and 10 percent of youth reported smoking cigarettes

E-cigarettes⁵:

• Are electronic devices that heat a liquid and produce an aerosol, or mix of small particles in the air
• Are known by many different names (e.g., e-cigs, e-hookahs, mods, vape pens, vapes, tank systems, and electronic nicotine delivery systems)
• Come in many shapes and sizes
• Often have a battery, heating elements, and place to hold liquid
• Often look like regular cigarettes, cigars, or pipes

According to the American Lung Association (ALA)⁶:

• Most people who smoke today started when they were younger than 18
• Youth nicotine or tobacco use (e.g., smoked, smokeless, or vaped) is not safe
• Youths use electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) more than any other tobacco product

All tobacco products, including e-cigarettes:

• Are not safe to use
• Can lead to the long-term use of tobacco products
• Contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and negatively can affect brain development

The ALA says that:

• A young person may try a tobacco product because of parents, social pressure, advertising, and stigma
• A young person who vapes is more likely to smoke cigarettes
• Parents can set a good example for their children by neither using tobacco nor having tobacco in their home

If you’ve never smoked or used other tobacco products or e-cigarettes – don’t start!

If you smoke or use other tobacco products or e-cigarettes, we can help you quit.

The CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers^® (Tips) campaign connects smokers in South Carolina with resources to help them quit. If you smoke and want help quitting, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (7848-669). You can connect with:

• South Caroline resources
• Free tobacco-cessation services
• Counseling
• Medication
• And more!

To learn about Humana’s tobacco-cessation program and the support we can give you, call 800-955-0782 (TTY: 711), Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Our members can participate in Go365 for Humana Healthy Horizons^®, a wellness program that offers you the opportunity to earn rewards⁷ for taking healthy actions.

Enroll in and complete our tobacco-cessation program⁸, and you can earn up to $50 in rewards. During the program, you will complete eight coaching sessions. To enroll, call 800-955-0782 (TTY: 711), Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Learn more about Go365 for Humana Healthy Horizons, the other activities you may qualify to complete, and the rewards you can earn

¹Smoking Facts. American Lung Association. https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/smoking-facts Last accessed on August 17, 2022.

²Smoking and Tobacco Use: Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm. Last accessed on August 17, 2022.

³Smoking and Tobacco Use: Fast Facts and Fact Sheets. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/index.htm#smoking-and-cigarettes. Last accessed on August 17, 2022.

⁴Extinguishing the Tobacco Epidemic in South Carolina. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/stateandcommunity/state-fact-sheets/south-carolina/index.html. Last accessed on August 17, 2022.

⁵Smoking and Tobacco Use: Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html. Last accessed on August 17, 2022.

⁶Kids and Smoking. American Lung Association. https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/helping-teens-quit/kids-and-smoking. Last accessed on August 17, 2022.

⁷This Go365 for Humana Healthy Horizons Program is only available to members who are 18 years and older.

⁸The intention is for Tobacco Cessation Program to be completed in seven (7) months but will allow up to 12 months to complete eight (8) sessions giving the member an opportunity to make up for missed coaching sessions.