Palm Beach, Fla, January 9, 2006 – In recognition of Tobacco Free Awareness Week, January 22-28, Smoke Free Society will offer a free online download of it's “Proven Stop Smoking Technique” through the end of January. The program is designed to help and encourage smokers to follow through with their New Year’s resolution to quit for good this coming year while saving their own lives, loved ones’ health, and hard-earned money.

“Tragically, one out of four Americans smoke. That means in a family of four, either the father or mother, or both, are smokers endangering their lives as well as their loved ones’ lives and future. Sadly, an average pack-a-day smoker spends over $1,500 a year on their cigarettes alone, and that

doesn’t include all other related costs. A Duke University study puts the true cost of lifetime smoking at $40 a pack – money that could be used to provide food, education, healthcare and fun activities for their family,” said Rez Seyedin, founder of Smoke Free Society.

“The good news is that smokers can quit with help of modern smoking cessation tools and services. Tobacco prevention and cessation events and seminars are a great way to motivate people to try to quit smoking for good or to never pick up the habit. We are offering a free download of our ‘Proven Stop Smoking Technique’ nationally to anyone who wants to quit smoking or help a loved one quit,” continued Seyedin.

Smoke Free Society also helps smokers quit through its corporate seminars and events. These Smoke Free Work Environment Seminars and events are conducted off or at the employer’s business location and include Smoke Free Society’s three-step smoking cessation process of preparation, quitting and support. The seminar is open to all employees, as smoking affects everybody whether they smoke or don’t, helping to create an environment more conducive for employees who want to quit. “Support from family, friends and co-workers is an essential part of successful quitting and staying smoke-free,” said Seyedin.

In the U.S., restaurant employees have higher mortality rates than other occupational groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Many people only think about the adverse effects of smoking on the individual smoking, but all those near a smoker are adversely affected too," continued Seyedin.

Secondhand smoke, which comes from the burning of a cigarette and exhalation of a smoker, is classified as a Group A carcinogen that causes an estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths, and accounts for up to 62,000 heart disease deaths each year among nonsmokers in the United States. According to Dr. Katherine Hammond at the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, non-smokers receive the equivalent of cigarette smoking just by being around smokers:

Eleven entire states in the U.S. – California, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Montana, Vermont, Washington and New Jersey -- have now enacted smoke-free workplace legislation for ALL workers, including restaurant and bar workers. Smoke Free Society assists employers in helping their employees quit smoking. An employee that smokes costs an employer more than $9,300 in lost productivity, smoking breaks, excess medical expenditures, liability insurance and other related costs each and every year. And according to the office of the U.S. Surgeon General, “Paying for tobacco use cessation treatments is the single most cost-effective health insurance benefit for adults that can be provided to employees.”

Smoke Free Society is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping smokers quit and educating kids not to start. It is currently offering a free download of its “Proven Stop Smoking Technique” to anyone who wants to quit smoking or help a loved one quit. Its Web site is a portal to an array of information on the adverse effects of smoking. Smoke Free Society offers a variety of quit smoking seminars, plans and programs and its dedicated staff is ready to help you, your employees, friends or loved ones quit smoking before it’s too late. www.SmokeFreeSociety.org today.

For related photos: http://www.smokefreesociety.org/Press/PRelease/GreatSmokeout-1.asp.