As the Vice President of Product at Truth Initiative, Jacobs brings an empathic, user-centered approach to product design that is key to the successful quit-smoking and vaping programs used by hundreds of thousands of people looking to break free from addiction.
Jacobs leads the EX® Program enterprise product. She also designed the quit-vaping program This is Quitting (now part of EX Program) for teens and young adults.
Jacobs frequently presents at conferences and has been interviewed by numerous media outlets including NPR, Vox, The TODAY Show, the Boston Globe, HR Executive, Healthline, and FOX News Radio.
Before working at Truth Initiative, Jacobs applied technology to help people make healthy behavior changes at the University of Michigan Health Service, DC Department of Health and the National Vaccine Program Office.
Jacobs earned a bachelor’s degree in English and French from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in public health communication and marketing from the George Washington University and certificates in product management and design thinking. She teaches mHealth product development at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, where she has held leadership roles on several alumni groups. Jacobs has served on the Counter Tools board of directors since 2020.
What hidden healthcare costs lurk in your organization? By helping employees quit smoking, vaping, or using other tobacco, employers can reduce healthcare costs and boost workplace productivity. Today, employers face pressure from rising healthcare costs, often associated with chronic conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and musculoskeletal conditions. Among the […]
When people smoke and vape at the same time (called dual use), do they face increased health and financial risks? The answer is yes, but they aren’t the only ones who feel the pinch. Dual users can produce even more costly tobacco-related illnesses for your organization. However, you can reduce […]
Read More… from Why People Who Smoke and Vape Need Extra Help Quitting
Now that smoking in the workplace is no longer an issue, companies can solely focus on other wellbeing strategies, right? Unfortunately not. Because smoking in the workplace today isn’t always obvious, that’s led some employers to believe this type of addiction isn’t a big issue anymore. Out of sight, out […]
Read More… from Yes, You Still Have Smokers in Your Workplace
Recently, we joined 3 of our clients in a webinar on strategies for protecting employee wellbeing—including how to support those who struggle with tobacco addiction. Several viewers had compelling questions that weren’t answered before the program’s close, so we wanted to address them here, since they’re important topics to discuss: […]
Read More… from 4 Important Questions on Employee Wellbeing and Tobacco Use
Looking to find the real costs of vaping? The answer is different for individuals vs. employers. Cost of vaping for individuals In the past few years, disposable e-cigarettes—one of the most used type of e-cigarette—have evolved to be bigger in size and nicotine strength. They have also become dramatically cheaper […]
Read More… from How Much Does Vaping Cost Individuals and Employers?
Everyone knows the risks of smoking while pregnant, but what about the risks of vaping while pregnant? As the prevalence of e-cigarette use among young adults increases, the likelihood of vaping among women of reproductive age also increases. Studies show up to 7% of pregnant women use e-cigarettes. However, this […]
With a 24.5% tobacco use rate, the hospitality industry has one of the largest populations of smokers in the U.S. (and likely the most smoke breaks at work, too). Many experts speculate that it’s because many of workers in this industry are lower-income and have less education. In households with […]
Read More… from Want a Side of Cigarettes with That? How to Curb Smoke Breaks at Work in Hospitality
Quitting menthol cigarettes after 40 years of smoking is a huge achievement. It’s absolutely life changing. Just ask Millie of the Bronx, New York. She started smoking menthol cigarettes when she was 14 years old because it was the ‘cool thing’ to do. She’s been hooked ever since, surrounded by […]
Read More… from Get Inspired: Millie’s Journey to Quitting Menthol Cigarettes
Chewing tobacco. Snus. Snuff. No matter what it’s called, smokeless tobacco is dangerous. Those who provide healthcare benefits to a blue-collar workforce likely already have these terms on their radar. But if you don’t, you should. Here’s why. The average rate of chewing tobacco use in blue-collar jobs can be […]
Read More… from Smokeless Tobacco: Just an Issue for Blue-collar Workers?
After the Met Gala on May 1, “Doja Cat vape” started to trend in Google. Here’s a likely reason why. The Met Gala is well known for its over-the-top displays of fashion, and the latest event was no exception. This year, though, rapper Doja Cat drew attention for more than […]
Read More… from Why the Trending Search Term “Doja Cat Vape” is a Big Deal
Empathy can be powerful in any type of setting. Defined as the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing, communicating with empathy can be especially powerful with driving smoking cessation outcomes. Unlike sympathy—which is similar but puts a degree of separation between people— empathy is about fostering […]
Read More… from How Communicating with Empathy Drives Smoking Cessation Outcomes
Heart disease and smoking oftentimes go hand-in-hand. Can smoking cause a heart attack? Smoking is a leading cause of heart attacks and heart disease. Quitting smoking is the most important thing tobacco users can do to lower their chances of having a heart attack caused by blocked blood vessels. Ongoing […]
Read More… from The Disturbing Link between Heart Disease and Smoking
Although teen vaping is strongly influenced by peers, parents play a significant role, too. New research suggests that adolescents with parents who smoke are at increased risk for trying vaping and smoking: 55% more likely to try e-cigarettes and 51% more likely to have tried smoking. This is in line […]
Read More… from When Parents Smoke, Here’s How It Can Affect Teen Vaping
Text messaging, including quit smoking texts, is a proven form of treatment to promote behavioral and physical health issues (including quitting smoking). So, it makes sense why many tobacco cessation programs offer quit-smoking texts. But are all text messaging programs to help people quit tobacco the same? The answer: No. […]
When it comes to mythological creatures, Bigfoot may not get as much attention as unicorns and dragons, but there’s one enormous reason you should learn about him. He works for you. You don’t actually employ Bigfoot, but considering how much he has in common with tobacco users in your organization, […]
Read More… from 7 Ways Bigfoot and Smokers at Work Are Alike + 1 Key Difference
Quick quiz about employee smoking: Smokers of which generation are more likely to participate in quit-smoking programs? Which generations prefer guidance to reduce employee smoking, compared to more autonomy and ownership over the process? And if you’re offering phone coaching to reduce smoking in the workplace, does that appeal to […]
Read More… from With Employee Smoking, Do You Speak Every Generation’s Language? [INFOGRAPHIC]
In the tight-margin industry of retail, containing employee healthcare costs is a must. Tobacco cessation is one example of a critical employee benefit that can help minimize healthcare spend—when it’s delivered in ways that employees want to use. So why isn’t it always top of mind for HR benefit leaders […]
Read More… from 6 Ways Tobacco Use Hurts Today’s Retail Employers
The EX Program, a digital tobacco cessation program developed by Truth Initiative in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, has announced the launch of enhanced digital support to help smokeless tobacco users quit. Smokeless tobacco is also known as snuff, chewing tobacco, dip, or snus. “Quitting chewing tobacco can be as difficult […]
Read More… from The EX Program Launches Enhanced Digital Content for Quitting Smokeless Tobacco
Objective Assess workplace vaping as a trigger for tobacco use; examine interest in and prevalence of vaping cessation programs; determine needs of parents whose children vape. Methods Employees of companies […]
Background Smoking remains a leading cause of preventable death and illness. Internet interventions for smoking cessation have the potential to significantly impact public health, given their broad reach and proven […]
Background Millions of young adults currently vape electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), yet little research on vaping cessation interventions exists. Text messaging is a promising, scalable intervention strategy for delivering vaping cessation […]
Abstract Although surgical patients who smoke could benefit from perioperative abstinence, few currently receive support. This pilot study determined the feasibility and acceptability of a perioperative text messaging smoking cessation […]
Background The 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey showed e-cigarette use among middle and high schoolers increased by 48% and 78%, respectively, in just one year. More than 3.6 million youth […]
Background Delivering effective tobacco dependence treatment that is feasible within lung cancer screening (LCS) programs is crucial for realizing the health benefits and cost savings of screening. Large-scale trials and […]
Background The aim of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of Internet interventions in promoting smoking cessation among adult tobacco users relative to other forms of intervention recommended […]
Introduction Millions of smokers use the Internet for smoking cessation assistance each year; however, most smokers engage minimally with even the best designed websites. The ubiquity of mobile devices and […]
