Up to eight weeks of free help to quit smoking offered through state program

The Alabama Tobacco Quitline is celebrating 10 years of helping state residents quit tobacco use by offering up to eight weeks of nicotine replacement therapy patches (NRT) to eligible callers, while supplies last.

Alabama maintains one of the highest rates in the nation for those who light up. Some 21.5 percent of Alabama adults are smokers, according to the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

The Quitline is a toll-free telephone coaching program that helps tobacco users quit with informational materials, a quit plan, coaching and NRT, all at no cost. Previously, the Quitline offered two weeks of NRT to eligible callers.
 
“The additional weeks of NRT should help more people quit,” said Karen Atkinson, Quitline manager. “Research shows that the combination of coaching and NRT can double the chances of a tobacco user quitting and staying quit.”

Since it began April 1, 2005, more than 145,000 calls have been made to Alabama’s Quitline. Callers dial 1-800 Quit Now (1-800-784-8669) to enroll in the program. Coaching is required to receive the NRT which is mailed to the user’s home every two weeks while participating in the program.

Callers with certain medical conditions may be referred to their health care provider for NRT approval. The Alabama Tobacco Quitline had the third highest quit rate among reporting quitlines, according to 2013 data from the North American Quitline Consortium.

The Quitline is open seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to midnight. For those who prefer electronic services, a website, QuitNowAlabama.com, is available. Mobile apps and text messaging are also available.

Source: Alabama Department of Public Health