Quitting Tobacco Use

Referral Resources

The NYS Smoker's Quitline:1-866-NY-QUITS (697-8487).  They provide counseling over the phone and most people are also able to get free nicotine replacement therapy, such as the patch or gum. 

Online Resources

• Free online quit program from the Legacy Foundation: http://www.becomeanex.org/
• American Lung Association Freedom From Smoking program: http://www.ffsonline.org/
• American Cancer Society Guide to Quitting Smoking: https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/how-to-quit-smoking.html
• American Cancer Society Guide to Quitting Smokeless Tobacco: https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/guide-quitting-smoking/deciding-to-quit-smokeless-tobacco-and-making-a-plan.html
• More tips from the American Cancer Society on Quitting: https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/guide-quitting-smoking.html
• American Cancer Society Quit for Life Program: https://www.quitnow.net
• QuNitY Tobacco-Free Network from NYS Smokers’ Quitline: https://qunity.nysmokefree.com/

SmokefreeTXT: A text messaging service created by the National Cancer Institute to give 24/7 encouragement, advice, and tips to help people quit smoking. To sign up text the word QUITto IQUIT (47848) from your mobile phone. You’ll be prompted to answer a few questions, and you’ll start receiving messages. There is no fee for this service. However, message and data rates may apply.

The Quit For Life American Cancer Society app: This is a free smart phone application for the iPhone and Android.

Other options:

• Medicaid now covers all 7 of the first line medications used quitting, even those that are over the counter. Talk with a medical provider, such as a doctor.  Many insurances cover nicotine replacement or other medications to help with quitting. 
• Behavioral or mental health professionals can provide counseling.

Support Groups for Quitting Tobacco Use

The Butt Stops Here

The Butt Stops Here program is a support group for quitting.  Most people are eligible for the patch or gum through this program.  For more information:  http://healthprograms.org/quit-now/

• To register for the Butt Stops Here program at St. Peter's Hospital Cancer Care Center, call Anne Lawton at (518) 525-1827
  St. Peter's Hospital Cancer Care Center
  317 South Manning Blvd., Suite 100,
  Albany, NY 12208
• To register for the Butt Stops Here program at St. Mary's Hospital, call Therese O’Callaghan at (518) 268-6442
  St. Mary's Hospital
  1300 Massachusetts Ave.
  Troy, NY 12180
• Ellis Medicine offers a Butt Stops Here group. Register at www.ellismedicine.org/smokingor call Kathy at (518) 831-6957 for more information.
• The Courage to Quit program is a free group that is offered periodically. This is a faith-based group that uses parts of the Butt Stops Here and sessions are led by a mission staff member. It includes materials for quitting and two weeks of patches or gum. No registration is required, call (518) 459-2550 for the group’s schedule. There are 2 locations:
  • Capital City Rescue Mission
    (259 So. Pearl St. Albany
    Thursdays at 7:30-8:30 pm; and
  • City Mission of Schenectady
    425 Hamilton Street Schenectady
    Mondays at 6:30-7:30 pm
• Quit for Life is a cessation program at the Glens Falls Hospital's CR Wood Cancer Center Library. To register or for more information call Paul Miller at 926-6629.
• Another program is Nicotine Anonymous. It is free. It meets Thursdays at 7:30pm at the Bethany Reformed Church. The address is 760 New Scotland Ave Albany, NY 12208. If you'd like more information their number is (518) 368-6210. The website for all of Nicotine Anonymous is www.nicotine-anonymous.org.