Health and Wellness

New Free Service to Help Quit Smoking….

Alabamians who are tired of being addicted to tobacco have a new free service to help them quit. The service is a web-based program designed to work with the user to develop a personalized plan for quitting tobacco use. Go to www.Alabamaquitnow.com. The service includes free master’s level counseling and four weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches if the user is actively engaged in counseling and is medically eligible. The site is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Anyone can visit the site for information or register to become a member. Members can chat with other members who are quitting.

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 make their quit plan. Callers may dial 1-800-784-8669 and sign up for phone services.

Alabama has one of the highest smoking rates in the nation; more than one in five Alabamians use tobacco. More than 7600 Alabamians die each year as a result of smoking, with another 850 non-smokers in the state dying as a result of secondhand smoke.

The Human Resources Department has cards with information on the phone-in program; please go by and pick one up. The program is only for Alabama residents. For more information contact Julie Nightengale at 334-206-6432.