If you have a strong desire to quit tobacco, the Knox County Health Department’s Put It Out for Good program can help. While there is no ‘magic bullet’ to break the addiction to nicotine, the health department has helped hundreds of smokers and chewers to reduce and cease their tobacco use.

 

 

 

What's your reason to quit?

Some of the more popular reasons people want to break their addiction to nicotine include:

• Improving overall health
• Reducing the smell of smoke on clothes, hair, breath, car and home
• Doing simple tasks without running out of breath
• Having fewer facial wrinkles
• Saving money
• Increasing life expectancy to be around longer for family and friends
• Being in control over life

Free Counseling, Free Nicotine Patches

The health department offers free counseling and free nicotine replacement therapy to combat with the addiction to tobacco. The program is designed to help tobacco users Put It Out for Good within an eight-week timeframe.

Combining counseling and nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine patches, gum or lozenges) will better chances of quitting. However, there is not one way to quit that works the same for everybody. An individual quit plan is developed with each client.

Free Ongoing Classes

Tobacco users interested in quitting are invited to attend free classes every Thursday night at the Knox County Health Department. Classes are held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the health department conference room. The health department is located at 11660 Upper Gilchrist Road. Pre-registration is not required to attend the classes.

Classes help clients better understand withdrawal symptoms, triggers, relapse, weight gain, addiction, support systems, and many other issues. Classes are never designed to lecture clients about the dangers of tobacco use and what will happen if one doesn’t quit.

One-on-one counseling sessions can also be arranged by appointment only.

Contact Information

For more information about Put It Out for Good classes, contact Mike Whitaker, Tobacco Treatment Specialist, at the health department at 392-2200, ext. 2233 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.