Thinking about Quitting Smoking? The Quitline

With the holidays rapidly approaching and the New Year just around the corner we are all starting to think about our resolutions for the upcoming year. On January 1, 2008 Wisconsin's cigarette tax will increase by $1 and it is a great time for smokers to begin the process of quitting smoking. Since 2001 the Quit Line has served as a great resource for smokers who are trying to quit and today they announced an expansion of services that will help more people be smoke-free in 2008.

At a news conference in Milwaukee today, the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services and the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI) announced an expansion of quit line services for Wisconsin tobacco users who want to quit. This includes free medication for those who participate in quit line coaching, and a new interactive Web coaching service that provides personal tracking tools and discussion forums for those trying to quit. For more information on the Quit Line click here

The Quit Line offers a variety of services, including:

• Free telephone coaching for Wisconsin tobacco users who want to quit, including:

o A 20-40 minute initial assessment of each caller ready to make a quit attempt.
o Advice on how to quit, based on extensive scientific research.
o An option to have a Quit Line coach follow up with return calls.

• A starter kit that includes free medications and self-help materials.
• A new “Web Coach” feature that allows callers to interact with Quit-Line coaches and peers online.
• Referrals to local tobacco-treatment programs and services.
• Information for friends, family and others concerned about a tobacco user.