Major health and financial benefits for free: Minnesota program helps you quit smoking

Watching your loved ones smoke, despite the health consequences, is something many of us know all too well.

“All of my grandparents were heavy smokers,” said Mike Sheldon, Cessation Communications Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Health. “My grandmother was hospitalized with emphysema, among other smoking-related illnesses. When I visited her, she was still smoking in the hospital. It’s a testament to how addictive this is.”

Sheldon wants tobacco users to know about Quit Partner. Launched in 2020, it is Minnesota’s free way to quit nicotine, including smoking, vaping, and chewing.

“The tobacco industry has spent a lot of time and money making their products as addictive as possible,” said Mike Sheldon Cessation Communications Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Health.

In 2023, the Minnesota Department of Health reported 12% of adults in the state smoked cigarettes, while 19.4% of adults used some form of tobacco, like e-cigarettes and chewing tobacco. That same year, 48,277 Minnesota students in grades 6-12 used a commercial tobacco product in the past 30 days.

“You’re up against a big behemoth,” Sheldon added. “We want to give support without judgment. We’re not lecturing anybody. We understand this is a difficult process, and we’re here to provide that free support to help people quit.”

Sheldon says only 3% of people who quit tobacco cold turkey stay with it. That’s where Quit Partner can help. It is free, confidential, and provides phone, email, and text support as well as free patches, gum, and lozenges. These forms of nicotine replacement therapy can help people wean off tobacco.

“We like to tell folks, it’s never too late to quit and don’t quit trying.”

Free tools on the Quit Partner website help Minnesotans learn the health and economic impact of smoking. There’s even a calculator where you can determine how much money you will save if you quit smoking. For example, the average cost of a pack of cigarettes in Minnesota is $12.10, which totals $4,416 per year for pack-a-day smokers. Along with reasons to quit, Quit Partner also offers tailored help.

“You can talk to a quit coach over the phone and create a quit plan,” Sheldon explained. “We talk about things like, what are your triggers? What are your stressors? Then we come up with a plan of attack ahead of time so they know how to handle those moments instead of reaching for a cigarette.”

Quit Partner’s quit coaches set up a plan and a quit date that is two, three, or even four weeks out. That way, participants can prepare. “It’s not a situation of having to throw your cigarettes out and be done today. We give you the resources and tools you need to succeed,” Sheldon explained.

More than 33% of Quit Partner enrollees have successfully quit commercial tobacco use. Learn more about the free resources and support at Quit Partner at https://www.quitpartnermn.com/. You can also text the word START to 300500 or call 1-800-Quit-Now (784-8669).