| INDIANAPOLIS—This month, the Indiana Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT NOW) is celebrating 15 years of helping thousands of Hoosiers overcome their tobacco addiction and live healthier lives. To mark the anniversary, the Quitline is offering four weeks of free nicotine patches and gum to anyone who enrolls, while supplies last.
Since it began in March 2006, the Quitline has helped more than 180,000 tobacco users quit tobacco through its free phone counseling, web-based service Web Coach and supplementary texting service Text2Quit.
“The Indiana Tobacco Quitline plays a critical role in efforts to make Indiana a healthier place to live and work,†said State Health Commissioner Kristina Box, M.D., FACOG. “Quitting tobacco use is one of the best actions a person can take to improve their overall health, and the Quitline has a great track record for helping Hoosiers quit.â€
The Quitline boasts a quit rate of 43 percent, and Indiana’s adult smoking rate is 19.2 percent, down from 25.9 percent in 2011.
Smoking can increase the risk of severe illness with COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, the Quitline has been working to make quitting easier through new and improved service offerings. This includes Text2Start, a new and easier way for Hoosiers to connect with free counseling services, and the Individual Services program, which provides increased flexibility through a choice of quit tools.
“We are excited to reach this milestone of the Indiana Tobacco Quitline’s 15th anniversary,†said Miranda Spitznagle, director of Tobacco Prevention and Cessation at the Indiana Department of Health. “We’re also proud that the Quitline has been able to launch these additional services and cessation tools at a time when Hoosiers who use tobacco need it most.â€
For more information about the Indiana Tobacco Quitline and the new service offerings, visit QuitNowIndiana.com.
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