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Rural Health Information Hub

Vermont Department of Health Tobacco Control Program

  • Project Titles:: 802Quits, Down and Dirty, and CounterBalanceVT
  • Program Representative Interviewed: Rebecca Brookes, Chronic Disease Information Director
  • Location: Burlington, VT
  • Program Overview: The Vermont Department of Health Tobacco Control Program is implementing a comprehensive tobacco control and cessation program that features three key initiatives:
    • 802Quits is an adult tobacco cessation counseling service accessed online, on the phone, or in person. Eligible participants receive guidance from tobacco treatment specialists referred to as “Vermont Quit Partners,” and access to free nicotine gum, patches or lozenges. 802Quits includes a provider engagement program to encourage referrals. 802Quits uses mass-media and digital promotion.
    • Down and Dirty is a tobacco prevention social branding campaign for rural teens who identify with a “Country” lifestyle: hunting, off-roading, and mudding. Down and Dirty strives to shift the perception that to be Country is to use tobacco. The campaign uses digital engagement, event sponsorships, and brand ambassadors.
    • CounterBalanceVT educates parents and raises awareness at a community level about tobacco advertising in the retail environment. The goal is to reduce the influence of point-of-sale tobacco advertising on youth by supporting community partners and a network of community coalitions. The initiative uses mass-media, digital promotion, and community/youth engagement.

Models represented by this program: