(MONTGOMERY, Ala.) - Did you make a resolution this year to put down the cigarettes?
According to the Alabama Department of Public health, the state ranks eighth in the country for the percentage of smokers, close to one out of four adults in Alabama lights up.
But, you can get free help to stop smoking for good.
ADOH offers free phone-based tobacco cessation service that provides free counseling and two weeks of free nicotine patches to callers who begin telephone counseling and are medically eligible.
The Alabama Tobacco Quitline – 1-800-Quit-Now – is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from
9 a.m until 5:30 p.m. Calls placed after these hours or on holidays will be returned the next business day. Quitline services are available online at
www.alabamaquitnow.com.
“Quitting tobacco is the most important thing you can do for yourself and your family,” said Adrienne Tricksey, Tobacco Control Coordinator for Mobile. “Counselors from the Quitline can help you make and keep a plan to quit tobacco.”
Callers are required to participate in the counseling calls to receive the free nicotine replacement therapy patches.
“Studies have shown that you are twice as likely to quit if you receive counseling with your patches,” Tricksey said.
After beginning counseling, the patches are mailed to the caller’s home if the caller is medically eligible. Those with underlying medical conditions or who take medications that could interfere with the patches’ effectiveness are required to have their doctor’s permission for the patches.
