A free and confidential service called the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line offers guidance to those wanting to quit smoking.

The program, implemented about a year ago, is part of a complement of different services to help smokers who want to quit, said Beth Schieber, Spokesperson for the Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation.

The TUPCF is funded with money secured from the national Master Settlement Agreement between tobacco companies and 46 states.

The first step in utilizing the program is to call the Quit Line at

1-800-934-4840 to speak to one of the trained counselors.

Forming a relationship with the caller and understanding them is the first step in helping them to quit, Schieber said.

“We get a snapshot of the person and their tobacco use and the walls that they need to overcome to get a better feeling of how to help them,” she said.

During the first call the counselor will ask for the individual’s history of smoking, any triggers associated with smoking, and will set a specific date to quit, said Melissa Kulasekere, Tobacco Cessation Counselor.

The second call is to help the individual prepare to successfully quit, and the remaining three calls offer support to the individual after they’ve stopped smoking, Schieber said.

Five telephone sessions with the counselor is the normal amount for most people and has been proven effective through protocols developed by Quit Line professionals.

“It’s not too many, and it’s not too little,” Schieber said. “It depends on the person and the assistance needed, and people can call back as many times as they’d like.”

It is pertinent that the caller decide they want to stop smoking when calling the Quit Line.

“The most important part of the process is that the individual needs to want to quit,” Kulasekere said. “Counselors can’t talk a person into quitting.”

The TUPCF initiated a pilot program in Cleveland, Toledo, and Athens in 2003 because of the highly disproportionately tobacco use in those cities.

The pilot program experienced a 25 percent quit rate compared to the cold turkey method which yields a one to two percent quit rate, Schieber said.

“Every person who wants to quit needs a different type of support,” she said. “Some people prefer and have success with one on one call sessions because it is a little more private and personal and works better for some people.”

Ohio ranks thirteenth in the nation for the highest percentage of adult smokers.

The Quit Line is not targeted specifically toward adults, but hopes to help all who call.

“The most important thing is that we’re here to help when you’re ready,” Kulasekere said.

Forty-two other states offer similar telephone services as part of a comprehensive anti-tobacco program.

Kulasekere said that Ohio is one of the only states that offers a credible program and is able to provide a free service that is available to a large number of people.

“A lot of people that call the Quit Line are disabled and can’t leave their homes,” she said. “We can reach them over the phone.”

The response and use of the Quit Line has been very positive since its creation almost a year ago.

Counselors have seen increases in the number of callers since the release of a commercial advertising the service, Kulasekere said.

“We see huge spikes in our response each time they run a commercial,” she said.

The Quit Line counselors are available Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from

10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The service is also provided in both English and Spanish.

The program has shown to be very effective to thousands of Ohioans.

“Many new callers seek the Quit Line for help because of a friend or family member’s success with the program,” Kulasekere said.

The Wellness Connection at Student Health Services offers help for students who are looking to kick their smoking habit at the University.

Carrie Belair, a certified chemical dependency counselor, offers free and confidential counseling by appointment.

Belair said that many students begin smoking at a young age to relieve stress and at first it works, but then they become addicted.

“I think it is a big health problem at the University,” she said. “A lot of people in college smoke one, two, or five cigarettes a day, and before they know it, they’re addicted.”

The Wellness Connection hopes to increase the amount of students that take advantage of the counseling by sponsoring an advertising campaign in November.

“I hope to make students that come see me non-smokers for life,” said Belair. “It is possible.”