December 21, 2006
Free Help Available for Montanans
Who
Resolve
to Quit Tobacco
Montanans who plan to ring in the New Year by resolving to quit using tobacco can get free help, including a six-week supply of nicotine replacement therapy, simply by mentioning their resolution when they call the Montana Tobacco Quit Line.
The Tobacco Quit Line is a free service available to any Montanan who wants to quit using tobacco, including spit tobacco. The toll-free number is 1-866-485-QUIT (7848).
More than 10,000 Montanans have called the Quit Line since the state Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) initiated the program in May 2004.
"Most tobacco users tell us they want to stop, and half of all Montana smokers try to quit every year," said Linda Lee supervisor of the DPHHS Tobacco Use Prevention Program. "About half of spit tobacco users say they are planning to quit as well."
Lee said callers who choose to receive the full range of services the Quit Line offers are 7 to 10 times more likely to quit tobacco than if they try to do it on their own.
The Quit Line service is anonymous and those who enroll receive free benefits including:
- personalized guidance from quit specialists who help each caller develop a quit plan;
- five calls with a specialist to guide the individual through the quitting process;
- a self-help tobacco cessation guide; and
- for a limited time, a six-week supply of nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine patches, gum or lozenges).
"People who receive nicotine replacement therapy and counseling are much more likely to be successful than those who don’t," Lee said.
Health-care providers recognize that many tobacco users are interested in quitting and want to be part of the solution. They can help increase a tobacco user’s chance of quitting by providing encouragement, Lee said.
"We know quitting tobacco is one of the most difficult things a person will do," said Stacy Campbell, cessation specialist with the Tobacco Use Prevention Program. "We also know that it isn’t unusual for people to attempt to quit several times before they actually are successful."
"But let’s consider what’s at stake here," she continued. "Tobacco use remains the number one preventable cause of death in the nation, responsible for nearly 1,500 Montana deaths annually. We’re here to help people quit tobacco, no matter how many times they try before they actually succeed."
Although the Montana Tobacco Quit Line has a documented record of success, only five percent of Montanans who try to quit call the Quit Line, according to DPHHS surveys.
The Quit Line is operated by National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, under a contract with DPHHS.
