Published: June 23, 2008 02:19 pm            

Georgia Tobacco Quit Line improves services, officials say

Submitted by the North Georgia Health District



A new service of the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line will help more people to quit smoking. The North Georgia Health District says nicotine replacement therapy in the form of patch, gum and lozenge will be available at no cost for eligible tobacco users who call the Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT NOW.

The Georgia Tobacco Quit Line also offers specialized services to help teens age 13 and older, pregnant women and spit tobacco users who are addicted to tobacco to quit. The Quit Line is open daily from 8 a.m. to midnight.

Counseling, combined with nicotine replacement therapy, can triple the chances of quitting successfully. Tobacco users often say that the barriers to quitting, such as the cost of purchasing nicotine replacement therapy, and access to counseling, make it harder for them to quit and to stay quit. Quit Lines help to make the process easier, because they are as simple as picking up the phone to get help.

There is now more evidence than ever that counseling helps youth to quit. A recent release of the 2008 Clinical Practice Guideline: Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence highlighted counseling as an effective means of helping youth smokers to quit. The Guideline also noted that telephone-based tobacco cessation counseling offered through Quit Lines is an effective approach for helping smokers with the ability to reach a broad and diverse group of people, including youth.

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of illness and death in Georgia and the world. Yet, the benefits of quitting begin almost immediately, and it is never too late. Remember, quitting takes practice. If you have tried quitting before, but went back to smoking, now is your chance to try again. Call the Quit Line at 1-800 QUIT NOW to enroll in this special program.



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