Fight Against Tobacco Addiction Reached "Tipping Point" In The U.S. During 2006 Reports Free & Clear

Business Wire, Feb 12, 2007

SEATTLE -- Last year marked the tipping point in the fight against tobacco addiction according to Free & Clear([R]), a national leader in coaching-based tobacco dependence treatment. The United States now has more former smokers than current smokers. Further, over half of Americans now live in a city or state that is smoke-free. In 2006, seven states and 116 cities, including Washington, DC, enacted local smoke-free laws, bringing the total up to 22 states and 577 municipalities.

Still, the struggle to quit remains a formidable challenge. Recent studies demonstrated nicotine levels in cigarettes actually increased over the past ten years. Even more troubling, recently published surveys indicate the decline in smoking prevalence in the United States leveled out in 2004 at 21%. While the vast majority of smokers want to quit, over 45 million adults still use tobacco in the United States despite significant adverse consequences to themselves and their family members, friends, and employers.

Employers and health plans have begun joining state agencies in assisting tobacco users to quit. As a national leader in evidence-based tobacco treatment, Free & Clear has responded to this demand. In 2006, Free & Clear signed contracts with over 40 large employers, health plans, and government organizations and is now the official tobacco cessation program for sixteen states and over 100 employers and health plans.

"Over 10% of the Fortune 100 has partnered with Free & Clear to lower health care costs and increase employee productivity by helping their people quit using tobacco," said Tim Kilgallon, chief executive officer and president. "In 2006, we registered over 115,000 people into Free & Clear tobacco cessation programs and completed nearly 700,000 intervention calls."

Free & Clear continues to aggressively invest in its scalability and product lines. Last year the company released several new best-in-class products to support participant needs, including Web Coach[TM], a personalized web application that is fully-integrated into Free & Clear's Quit For Life[TM] Program, and Vital Signs[TM], a new Web-based reporting suite for clients. Free & Clear also continued to hire and specially train uniquely qualified and multilingual Quit Coaches to support client growth.

The following video provides information on Free & Clear and their coaching-based tobacco cessation model: http://www.freeclear.com/~content/video/default.html

About Free & Clear, Inc.

Free & Clear, Inc. is the leading provider of coaching-based tobacco treatment services for health plans, employers, and government organizations. Free & Clear helps its clients improve the health of their populations and control related costs by reducing the prevalence of tobacco use. More than 50 million people have access to the Free & Clear Quit For Life Program, which has had its proof of effectiveness published in multiple peer-reviewed, scientific journals over the course of nearly 20 years. Free & Clear is based in Seattle, Washington. More information about Free & Clear can be found at www.freeclear.com.