Michigan Tobacco Quitline offering free nicotine
 patches, gum or lozenges through May 31

LANSING, Mich. – Thinking about
quitting tobacco? The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)is expanding its telephone coaching and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
program to all Michigan residents through May 31.

During this time, the Michigan TobaccoQuitline will offer a free, two-week supply of nicotine gum, patches or
lozenges for all new enrollees who want to quit smoking or chewing tobacco.Tobacco users who would like to quit may call the Quitline phone number at
800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669). Enrollment is available 24 hours a day, seven daysa week.

The Quitline serves all ages, however, callers seeking NRT must be over 18 and meet basic health requirements. Enrollees will receive a coach who will assist them in setting a quit date, choosing a nicotine replacement product that is right for them and making an individualized quit plan. The coach will provide support with up to four telephone coaching sessions scheduled around the caller's quit date.

Callers using NRT along with coaching,
such as through a telephone-based service like 800-QUIT-NOW, can increase theirchances of becoming smoke-free by five times the rate of someone quitting cold
turkey," said Dr. Eden Wells, MDHHS chief medical executive. “Providingaccess to free NRT during this promotion might just be the jump start someone
needs to quitting smoking tobacco for good.”
 

The Michigan Tobacco Quitline is an evidence-based service providing free telephone coaching for the uninsured, pregnant women, residents enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare, veterans, cancer patients and American Indians. More than 100,000 calls have been received since the service was launched in October 2003.

The Quitline offers English, Arabic andSpanish-speaking counselors, as well as interpretive services for a wide
variety of languages. For more information about the Quitline, call 800-QUIT-NOWor visit Michigan.gov/tobacco.