A free smoking cessation program in Central Virginia is opening registration at a critical moment, as uncertainty surrounding statewide funding could leave many residents with fewer resources to help them quit smoking.
Organizers say the Quit Nicotine Smoking Blue Ridge Program may soon become one of the last remaining free options in Virginia for people seeking support to stop using tobacco or nicotine.
Funding Uncertainty Threatens Statewide Quit Smoking Services
The program’s importance has grown as another major resource, Quit Now Virginia, faces an uncertain future. The statewide quit-smoking initiative currently depends on federal funding scheduled to expire on April 28.
If the funding is not renewed, public health advocates warn that thousands of Virginians attempting to quit smoking may lose access to free counseling and nicotine cessation support…