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With a new year coming up, it is a perfect time to make your New Year’s Resolution to quit smoking or using other tobacco. Recently, Casey Williams of the Healthy Communities Partnership Tobacco Free Initiative sat down with Court Alton to discuss how the Indiana Tobacco Quitline helped him put down cigarettes for good.
CW: With the Quitline, you have unlimited follow up calls with your quit coach. Were you able to reach out to your coach for an extra assistance? CA: Yes, I have reached out to my coach several times. I have had my share of slips since quitting and I would just call and we would talk it through. My coach really understood the process and that there can be times later when you relapse.
Casey Williams (CW): How long and how much did you smoke before you gave it up? Court Alton (CA): Off and on since the age of 16. Being a musician, I was always around it in bands, so it was hard to get away from. I thought it was cool at the time. I would say the most I got up to was a-pack-a-day. CW: Had you tried quitting before calling the Indiana Tobacco Quitline? And if so, what were the challenges in the past? CA: I have probably tried quitting 4 or 5 times before. I’ve tried Chantix, but didn’t really like it, cold turkey, nothing really worked. Stress was always a challenge. It would always lure me back to smoking, and the simple reason: I just enjoyed smoking. It’s hard to give something up when you really enjoy it.
CW: What aspect about being smoke-free have you enjoyed most since quitting? CA: Money has been a huge thing. It really is crazy when you think about how much money a person spends on something like cigarettes that just makes them unhealthy. I also always hated how people would have to wait on me. After lunch I would have a smoke, or having to stop on road trips for a smoke. I feel a new sense of independence. CW: What advice would you give someone trying to quit smoking? CA: Just do it. The longer you put it off the harder it will be. Engage your family to help you quit. You need a support system. Make a budget… that was very helpful. Call the Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
CW: When you decided to get help quitting through the Quitline, you were connected with your own personal quit coach that helped walk you through the quitting process. Describe your relationship with your quit coach. CA: It was much more personal than I thought it would be. She really got to know me. My lifestyle, my smoking habits, my triggers. She really took time to understand me as an individual. It was great because anytime I had a craving I could call her and get support. CW: What was it about the process with the Indiana Tobacco Quitline made this attempt successful? CA: They took it very seriously and were very sincere about me quitting tobacco. In the past, I had told my friends that I wanted to try to quit but I never truly had a support system. With the Quitline I knew that I could always count on someone to help me get through the hard times. The free nicotine gum they sent me was also very helpful. The main thing was the accountability and the support the Quitline gave me.
For free professional help quitting tobacco, call the Indiana Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW. Indiana residents on Medicaid/Medicare or uninsured may be eligible for a two-week supply of nicotine replacement therapy.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE DO NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS OF NEWS4U
48 | January 2014
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