There’s an app for Quit

Iconosys, a mobile safety smartphone application developer has released the ‚I Can Quit‚ app, a new health-related smartphone app aimed at providing assistance and tracking for a person trying to stop habits like smoking.

An estimated 50 million people still smoke in the U.S, and many of them are trying to quit ‚Ķ without permanent, or even temporary, success! Whether it is based on a desire to improve their own health, a new year’s resolution, a commitment by a spouse to another, or a mom or dad promising to quit at the request of their children, the fact is that millions of smokers, drinkers and other addicted persons want the power, to quit unhealthy habits, and simply need additional help to make these changes a reality. For example, it is estimated that 17 million Americans try to quit smoking each year with very little success. Self-help programs are popping up all over with options and resources encouraging those who want to quit to do so.

For years, we have known in this country that cigarette smoking is a leading cause for illnesses like cancers, heart disease, stroke, and others that lead to death.

In fact, the US Surgeon General’s office gives us 4 official warnings (noted below) that must be posted on packaging that contains tobacco products:

• Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, and May Complicate Pregnancy

• Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health

• Smoking By Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, And Low Birth Weight

• Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide

‚When I was in the US Marine Corps, I was summoned back to central Florida to attend the funeral of my grandmother, after she had died from very sad, distressing and ugly struggle with Emphysema. I was her oldest grandson, she was so young. It was one of the most horrible things to see. I feel awful for those struggling to break the cycle and get off of the road leading them to such live-ending illnesses, and wish them all the strength in the world to quit if they so desire,‚ commented Iconosys co-founder and CEO Wayne Irving II.

The I Can Quit Features Include the Following:

• I Can Quit app sends supportive texts to the user throughout the day, motivating the quitter to continue his or her efforts toward a habit-free day.

• The messages that are transmitted to the user come in at pre-programmed intervals, or can be customized in terms of content and/or frequency of transmission by the user/quitter, a loved one or a care-provider as it is requested or required. In particular, a timer and a quota can be set as to how many and the recurrence or frequency of messages that the quitter may get throughout the day.

‚Ä¢ Currently, there are 10 pre-programmed messages inside the app, which the app will send the user via SMS Text message: these would include encouraging words to the effect of ‚doing a good job‚ or ‚keep up the good work‚ . A congratulatory timer is included that keeps track of the quitter’s daily victories in remaining habit free and showing the quitter their daily and weekly progress.

Availability

The app is available now for download from Amazon AppStore, Android Marketplace, GetJar, and the AppHysteria Appstore. While Iconosys plans to sell the app and provide a portion of the resulting funds to non-profits in support of programs aimed at helping quitters quit, at the present time the app is free of charge.

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