Health Matters With TSET: 8 weeks of products to help you quit smoking

Every Oklahoman who wants to quit smoking has access to two weeks of free nicotine gum, patches or lozenges through the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline.

But there are only a few days left to sign up for eight weeks of those free products.

In today's Health Matters with TSET, News 9's Amy Slanchik shows us how the program works.

“It Saved My Life”

After 16 years of smoking a pack a day, Brian Brower was in the car with his daughter Kimberly when he decided he would quit smoking.

"I remember lighting a cigarette and I saw that smoke just kind of, you know just rolling over into her face,” Brower said.

He called 1(800) QUIT-NOW about five years ago.

Two weeks of patches, combined with stubborn determination, and he says he hasn't had a cigarette since.

"The patches did enough for me to lose the cravings long enough for me to gain the sense of smell back to know that, I was like, a cigarette sounds great, and the moment I smell one it's like, no, I don't want to smell like that,” he said.

How the Program Works

Thousands of smokers register with the helpline each month.

TSET says during limited-time offers, there is about a 30 percent spike in registration.

Once you sign up, the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline will send your products in the mail. Plus, they offer help that doesn't come in a box.

 “You get calls with a quit coach, you can do text support if you want to do that,” TSET Director of Public Information and Government Affairs Thomas Larson said.

Larson said whenever the budget allows, the Helpline is able to offer eight weeks of free products, instead of two.

AMY: How expensive are these products?

THOMAS: “They can be kind of expensive, especially the name brand, they’re a little bit more expensive than a lot of tobacco products are so. A week of lozenges might be $30-$40.”

“It’s a significant investment of at least a couple hundred dollars. But you have to consider how much money you’re gonna save over time not using tobacco,” Larson said.

“There is a zero percent chance I would have done it if I had to pay for it,” Brower said. “The things are more expensive than cigarettes. Why would I do that?"

Support From Family and Friends

For Brian, two weeks of products was enough.

"It saved my life. It really did,” he said.

But Larson said every smoker who wants to quit has a different journey, and support from family and friends makes a difference, too.

“Tell them that you’re proud of them. That they can do this, that they got it, offer any kind of support that you can. That emotional support and that cheerleading is really important,” Larson said.

Success Rates and How to Get Help

TSET says about 40 percent of people who register are still tobacco-free 7 months later. Larson said that is higher than the national average of about 30 percent.

The last day to sign up is February 28th. Just visit OKHelpline.com or call 1-800 QUIT NOW.