Brief: More than 20 percent of the adult population in the United States are smokers, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every day 1,000 young people take up the habit.
More than 20 percent of the adult population in the United States are smokers, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every day 1,000 young people take up the habit.
At the same time, there are thousands of people who try to quit and fail, falling victim to the urge.
In an effort to help those individuals who are trying to stop smoking and encourage people not to start, the Alabama Department of Public Health has developed a free web-based support program, alabamaquitnow.com.
The Alabama Tobacco Quitline (800-784-8669) offers free information to anyone interested in quitting tobacco use, or to anyone who wants more information about quitting.
Julie Nightengale, service program manager for the Tobacco Prevention Branch of the Alabama Department of Public Health, said the service offers counseling and four weeks of free nicotine patches if the user is involved in counseling and is medically eligible.
She said the site is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"So far we've gotten very good response," she said. "We're hoping this online service will help us reach more people and help them quit smoking."
Jim Lancaster said he smoked for 40 years, but he stopped Feb. 1.
"I got to the point where I couldn't do any kind of physical activity, and also, smoking had gotten so expensive," Lancaster said.
He said after he decided to quit, he used the nicotine patches and also got support from a program through BlueCross BlueShield.
"Even with the patches and the help, it was tough (to stop)," Lancaster said. "Quitting is a work in progress. It's a continual thing. I could smoke one today, but I know if I did I would probably start back."
Lancaster said the online help from the department of public health assists anyone who is trying to quit.
"Any kind of support is helpful," he said. "I had to have a crutch, and mine was a straw I cut in half and kept in my left hand. I'd be riding down the road and I would put that straw between my fingers and I would take a puff.
"Most people need some help, and I can see where these services would be beneficial to helping people quit smoking."
Alabamaquitnow.com is funded through the Alabama Department of Public Health with a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The free online service is in addition to the Alabama Tobacco Quitline, a phone-based service that provides the same free programs to users who prefer to talk to a counselor to develop their quit plan.
"Alabama has one of the higher smoking rates in the U.S., and these smoking programs are an effort to try and get people to stop smoking," Nightengale said.
According to a CDC study, Utah has the smallest share of smokers, with just 9 percent of its adult population reporting cigarette use.
West Virginia has the highest percentage. The study showed 26.5 percent of adults in the state smoke.
Alabama is 10th at 22.1 percent. Nightengale said more than 7,600 residents die each year as a result of smoking.
She said the department of public health is trying to make it easy for people to use the service and get help to stop smoking.
"This is an effort to reach as many people as possible," she said. "We're pleased with the number of people who are using our services so far, and we want those numbers to continue and grow."
For more information about the programs, call the department of public health at 334-206-6432.
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