A handful of anti-smoking efforts are working to get the butts out of Cayuga County. And people who watch television or roll for a strike might be getting the message this month.

A media campaign funded by the state health department is focusing on ways to help New York smokers quit their habit. Called “Triggers,” the $2.7 million campaign will features various advertisements on television, radio and print that promote the state smoker's quitting hot line.

At the same time, local bowling alley Polish Falcon Lanes is participating in a similar statewide campaign. Throughout the month, bowlers have seen posters, banners, informational pieces and prizes that encourage them to become an ex-smoker.

One of the goals of these campaigns, according to Anne McCarthy of the Cayuga County Tobacco Free Partnership, is to help smokers re-learn how to live their lives without cigarettes. Smoking is physically addictive, she said, but it also becomes a lifestyle.

“We talk to people about quitting, and we ask them about what they are doing when they smoke,” said McCarthy, who added that people often have triggers that they associate with smoking.

The campaign commercials feature smokers trying to make it through various triggers, such as having a cup of coffee, driving to work or starting a day.

“Overcoming those triggers can lead to some success in quitting,” she said.

Various brochures and informational materials have been made available at Polish Falcon Lanes to steer smokers toward resources to help them quit. They have even given away some prizes, like pint glasses with anti-smoking messages on them.

One of those resources is the state's smokers' quitting hot line, or Quit line. The phone number and its coinciding Web site, www.nysmokefree.com, offer free coaching and tips for those who want to quit. They even help connect people with free starter kits of nicotine patches or gum.

Michelle Feldman, from Polish Falcon Lanes, said the business was contacted by the state and asked if they would participate. They were happy to do it, she said, because the bowling center is working on becoming more family oriented.

Just recently, the alley started hosting youth leagues, she said.

“We want to set a good example and try to get the kids in,” Feldman said. “That's where you got to start.”

These advertising campaigns are taking place at the same time as some local, smoking-related information is being released. Over the summer, the Tobacco Free Partnership released the results of its 2008 community tobacco survey.

Released every two years, the survey asks approximately 400 people questions about smoking and the media.

The survey found that 15.7 percent of people in Cayuga County smoke on a daily basis, with 1.6 percent smoking some days. Of those smokers, less than half - 45.7 percent - tried to quit this year.

Television is still the most common place where people see advertisements about the dangers of smoking, with 75 percent of responders stating that to be the case. The survey also found that 67 percent of people feel that tobacco advertising should be restricted or eliminated at stores. Of those surveyed, 82 percent recalled seeing tobacco ads the last time they visited a convenience store.

McCarthy said that the whole point of the campaigns and survey are to help provide smokers resources to help them quit. Most do not quit successfully on the first try, and these resources can be helpful as they are making important health decisions.

“These are all directed at the smoker to give them some ideas on how to change their behavior,” McCarthy said.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net