On this page:
- Want to help a friend or loved one quit smoking?
- Minnesota’s Tobacco Phone Counseling Programs
- Stop using tobacco FAQ
- Helping Smokers Quit - A Guide for Clinicians
- Links to more information
Want to help a friend or loved one quit smoking?
- Is there someone you care about who you want to quit smoking?
- Is it difficult to bring up the subject?
- Are you frustrated because they won’t change?
If you’re like most people, you’ve probably tried nagging them, hiding their cigarettes, or watching them to make sure they didn’t smoke. Or you may have even said something like, “if you loved me you would just quit!”, only to be disappointed when they didn’t.
Now, Mayo Clinic and ClearWay Minnesota have a program that teaches people new ways to approach and support smokers to quit. The program is very convenient, all done by phone and mail, and the smoker can receive free quitline services.
This FREE program is open to all Minnesota residents, ages 18 and older. Get more information and sign up here:
Want to help a friend or loved one quit smoking?
| Get on the Path to a Healthier You! | |
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Within 20 minutes of quitting smoking healthy changes start in your body. |
Take a look! Slideshow from WebMD:13 Best Quit-Smoking Tips Ever
Minnesota’s Tobacco Phone Counseling Programs
Everyone in Minnesota can take advantage of a stop smoking program that offers personal support. There's no cost to you - whether you're covered by a health plan or not. Research shows you'll be much more likely to succeed when you use a phone counseling program.
If you have one of these health plans, call the number listed:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and Blue Plus
1-888-662-BLUE
CCStpa
1-888-662-QUIT
First Plan of Minnesota
1-888-662-BLUE
HealthPartners
1-800-311-1052
Medica
1-866-QUIT-4-LIFE
MCHA (Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association)
1-866-QUIT-4-LIFE
Metropolitan Health Plan
1-800-292-2336
PreferredOne Community Health Plan
1-800-292-2336
South Country Health Alliance
1-866-567-7242
UCare Minnesota
1-888-642-5566
For everyone else call:
QUITPLAN® Services 1-888-354-PLAN
www.quitplan.com
Why should I get help to quit smoking?
Quitting is hard. Research shows that you are much more likely to succeed in quitting if you get help from a trained counselor. Help is as close as your telephone. Call one of the numbers above.
Why should I get help to quit using smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco, snuff, snus, etc.)?
Smokeless tobacco delivers a potent dose of nicotine to your body just like smoking does. Quitting can be hard. You are much more likely to succeed if you get help. Call one of the numbers above.
Where can I get help to quit?
Quitting is hard, but getting help isn't. Call one of the quit line numbers above.
Where can I get free help to quit if I don’t have health insurance?
ClearWay Minnesota's QUITPLAN Services provide free help to quit using tobacco to everyone who lives or works in Minnesota.
What is QUITPLAN Helpline?
When you call QUITPLAN® Services at 1-888-354-PLAN (7526), you’ll immediately be set up with a service that’s right for you.
If you select the QUITPLAN® Helpline, you will be connected to experienced, professional phone counselors who are waiting to help you to quit. You’ll work with them to create a personalized plan to quit, and you may receive free nicotine patches, lozenges or gum if it’s deemed appropriate.
The Helpline is able to help Spanish speakers and the hearing-impaired.
What is quitplan.com?
This free Web site is a personal support center that features many helpful and interactive quit-smoking resources.
Features of quitplan.com include:
- Personalized quit-smoking plans
- Expert counselors who respond to user questions within 24 hours
- Access to a community forum of current and former smokers who share the ups and downs of the quitting process
- Self-evaluations
- Tools tracking quitting progress, calculating savings and suggesting next steps
- Emails celebrating progress and milestones
What are the health benefits of quitting?
When you quit smoking - healthy changes start in your body.
- After 20 minutes: Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
- After 12 hours: Carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
- After 2 weeks to 3 months: Your heart attack risk begins to drop. Your lung function begins to improve.
- After 1 to 9 months: Your coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
- After 1 year: Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.
The health benefits continue to increase year after year!
Learn more about smoking and your health. Download a short, easy to read booklet from the Surgeon General:
What it means to you (En espanol)
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: what it means to you. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004.
Is it ever too late to quit?
The sooner you make the decision to quit, the sooner you will make the change to a healthier you
I’ve tried unsuccessfully to quit in the past, why should I try again?
Quitting smoking is hard. It is not unusual for people to need to practice quitting several times before they quit for good.
I am an employer, where can I get free help for me and my employees to quit?
ClearWay Minnesota's QUITPLAN at Work program provides help to quit for you and your employees. This includes free onsite group counseling sessions led by professional counselors. To get more information click here.
For health care providers: Helping Smokers Quit - A Guide for Clinicians
The U.S. Public Health Service revised its Clinical Practice Guideline in May 2008. The resulting publication, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update, gives health care providers an evidence based approach for treating tobacco use and dependence that incorporates the latest research.
The key points of the guideline are summarized in a pocket-sized Guide for Clinicians. The guide includes a chart with suggestions for clinical use of medications for tobacco dependence treatment. This chart includes information on precautions/contraindications, side effects, dosage, duration and availability.
To view a PDF version of the pocket guide click here.
2004 U.S. Surgeon General's Report: The Health Consequences of Smoking
