Research Shows Nicotine Patch and Gum Used Together Yield Higher Quit Rates
Alaska's Tobacco Quit Line offering both free patches and gum.
New research suggests that the use of nicotine patches and nicotine gum together increases the rate people successfully quit tobacco by 10 percent or more compared to using patches alone. The information is published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/09/18/ntr.nts186.abstract
Alaska's Tobacco Quit Line will begin to offer free combination therapy –patch and gum—to all Alaskans who call and enroll in a quit program. Participants are eligible to receive two weeks of patches and two weeks of gum two times per year.
"Tobacco use costs Alaskans in terms of health, quality of life and money in their pocket," said Ward B. Hurlburt, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. "The quit line is a great resource for those taking on the challenge of eliminating cigarettes, cigars and smokeless tobacco from their lives."
When Alaskans call the quit line, they first speak to an intake specialist who collects basic information and addresses specific quit needs. The caller is then contacted by a professional quit coach specially trained to serve Alaskans, including Alaska Native callers, and works with the caller to assess their readiness to quit, set a quit date and develop an individualized plan to quit. Participants can call Alaska's Tobacco Quit Line as often as they like and are eligible to receive four pro-active support calls from a quit coach.
Self-guided materials are also offered along with nicotine replacement therapy –patches and gum—mentioned above. All materials are typically shipped within 24 hours, though it sometimes takes more time for packages to reach outlying areas of Alaska.
Quit lines are effective, evidence-based treatments for tobacco cessation established through numerous clinical trials. The 2008 National Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, concluded that quit lines increase six-month smoking cessation quit rates compared to no intervention and therefore recommended the use of quit lines to help tobacco users quit. The Guideline reported quit rates of more than 12 percent among quit line users for coaching alone and 28 percent for coaching plus medication, compared with less than 9 percent for minimal or no intervention.
While quitting is hard, there are FREE resources available to help. Alaska's Tobacco Quit Line encourages you to make the step toward a tobacco-free life. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit Alaskaquitline.com or Facebook.com/Alaskaquitline to start your quit journey today.
For more information contact Eliza Muse at eliza.muse@alaska.gov or
(907) 269-0465.
AK Tobacco Quit Line press release