A new year might mean Central New Yorkers are resolving to live healthier, whether it’s eating better or exercising more. For others, it could mean trying to quit smoking or vaping. Health experts say nicotine is one of the most addictive substances, and quitting can be extremely difficult. Meghan Hallihan with Tobacco-Free CNY recommends talking to your doctor to figure out the best quit plan.
“There are lots of medications out there, there's some over the counter. There's some prescription medications, there's counseling services," Hallihan said. "The New York State quit line is an excellent resource for New York State residents. They provide free, confidential quit support.”
The quit line is 1-866-NY-QUITS or NY smokefree.com, and both provide free medications. Medicaid and most insurance companies also cover the cost.
Hallihan says younger tobacco users can even access their own resource.
“There's also a service called ‘This is quitting’ that is the first of its kind text messaging service for young people, people between the ages of 13 to 24 who are looking to quit vaping.”
To access the service, text the words "ditchvape" to 88709.
Hallihan says people are typically more successful if they layer the types of services they’re using.
“For example, a person may be more likely to be successful in quitting if they are using some sort of medication, whether it's something that's over the counter or something that's prescription based," Hallihan said. "If they're doing that while they're also doing counseling, whether it is something like the New York State quit line provides, phone or text based.”
Hallihan says surround yourself with support by telling family and friends you’re trying to quit. She says those cravings will return, and if you give in, just try again.
“For a lot of people quitting nicotine use, quitting smoking, quitting vaping takes more than one quit attempt," Hallihan said. "So I think it's important for people to know that if they try to quit and they slip up, that doesn't mean that they've failed. It just means that they need to keep trying and stick with it.”
