New Tennessee billboards promote tobacco hotline

Friday, April 12, 2013, Vol. 37, No. 15

NASHVILLE (AP) — New billboards are going up across the state promoting the toll-free Tennessee Tobacco Quitline that helps people seeking to end their tobacco habits.

The billboards are being funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are located in eight cities. They are Morristown, Columbia, Cookeville, Clarksville, Dyersburg, Lexington, Johnson City and Cleveland.

The billboards feature a young mother cuddling her infant while holding a cigarette. The text reads, "Jenny smokes two packs a day. So does her mom."

The state Health Department said in a news release the billboards were placed in cities with large colleges or universities or a military base nearby in an attempt to reach young people who are often the target of tobacco companies.