Smoking "Quit Line" offers free nicotine replacement therapy

Donna Smith had sworn to friends if she ever quit smoking, it would be on her death bed. That was before she had grandchildren. "When I found out I had emphysema, that's when I realized it was time to quit," said Smith, 53. "They were a lot more important to me than any cigarette." But as much as she wanted to quit, doing so felt almost impossible. For nearly three years, Smith tried quitting cold turkey or using nicotine patches, but neither method worked.

A new program through the Georgia Quit Line offered the right combination to finally reach success.

Starting last Sunday, the state Tobacco Use Prevention Program relaunched its Nicotine Replacement Therapy program.

The program offers uninsured coastal Georgia residents who call the Quit Line a free, four-week supply of nicotine replacement products in addition to one-one-counseling from a smoking cessation expert.

Smokers who are ready to quit can call the toll-free number where they will be asked several questions about their tobacco use.

"They'll be asked, 'Are you ready to quit within 30 days?'" said Cristina Gibson, director of health promotion and disease prevention at the Coastal Health District. "We know that, really, what it comes down to is whether the person is ready to quit."

If callers say "yes," they can receive in the mail supplies of either SunMark nicotine gum or the Habitrol patch.

But the program doesn't stop there.

Participants also must agree to participate in the Quit Line's "call program." At the convenience of the smoker, a counselor will call them two to five times during the four-week period to check on their progress.

Educational materials about quitting smoking are included with the nicotine replacement product. Participants are encouraged to participate in upcoming smoking cessation workshops offered through area health departments.

Under-used tool

This is the second time that the state's Tobacco Use Prevention Program has offered the nicotine-replacement products through the Quit Line in five of the 18 health districts.

Calls to the Quit Line jumped 600 percent the first time nicotine products were given away in 2008, according to the program's website.

Officials from the state Department of Community Health, which oversees tobacco use prevention efforts, said they could not immediately supply the number of people who participated or how many ultimately quit smoking.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Tobacco Control State Highlights 2010 report, the Georgia Quit Line has been under utilized.

Only about 1.2 percent of the state's smokers have called the toll-free number, placing it 43rd in terms of usage compared to similar services in other states.

The federal agency ranks Georgia 46th in the nation for funding of tobacco control programs.

Currently, 19.5 percent of Georgia residents over the age of 18 are cigarette smokers.

Retail cost for over-the-counter medications such as nicotine gum, inhalers, lozenges or patches can range from $30 to $90 for a two-week supply.

CDC funds currently cover the distribution of 700 doses of nicotine replacement products through the Quit Line.

Still, Gibson said the project should serve as a timely resource for the growing number of local workers whose companies are prohibiting smoking.

In recent months, Gibson has led smoking cessation classes at Georgia Pacific, Georgia Regional Hospital and Arizona Chemical, shortly before each instituted smoking bans.

"Not only are companies concerned about the health of employees and absenteeism, they're also looking at insurance costs, because it's much more expensive to insure a smoker than a nonsmoker," Gibson said.

Multi-faceted approach

Smith turned to the Georgia Quit Line in 2008, after learning about the free nicotine-replacement product offer through her job as a clerk at the Chatham County Health Department.

Smith called the number and received the nicotine patches, in addition to one-on-one counseling over the phone.

Through the combination counseling, patches and the support of her doctor, friends and family, Smith finally put down her last cigarette in August 2009.

"Without all that, I don't think I would have been able to get through it," she said.