On March 31st, the American Legacy Foundation along with the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation (NATC) will launch EX^®, an innovative public health program designed to speak to smokers in their own language and change the way they approach smoking.

Most smokers know they should quit but find it difficult to take the actual steps towards being smoke-free. In 2000, 70 percent of smokers said they wanted to quit, but only five percent were successful long-term. The focus of EX is to teach established smokers how to quit by "re-learning" how to go about daily life without smoking. The program was created by the American Legacy Foundation in collaboration with tobacco treatment experts at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic.

EX was previously piloted in four major cities in 2006-2007 -- Buffalo, New York; San Antonio, Texas; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Baltimore, Maryland. The cities were selected based on various criteria, including regional geography, adult smoking rates and the ability to reach priority populations - groups that are disproportionately affected by tobacco-related diseases or targeted by tobacco-industry marketing efforts.

Legacy will join other members of the NATC in kicking the campaign off at a press conference to be held at 10 a.m. on 3.31.08 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop will join NATC members: the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, C-Change, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Association of State and Territorial Health Organizations (ASTHO) and states from across the country in launching this national initiative.

Look for more details on the campaign in next months' E-newsletter.