The Kansas Tobacco Quitline recently added an online tobacco cessation counseling service, Web Coach®. The online service available at www.QuitNow.net/Kansas provides counseling and support materials based on individuals’ readiness to quit tobacco use. The program, which is free to Kansas residents, will help tobacco users create an easy-to-follow quitting plan that will help them prepare, take action and live without tobacco.
Woman taking a broken cigarette
Web Coach provides online access to highly trained cessation Coaches by live chat and e-mail. Users will also gain membership to a private, online community where they can complete activities, watch videos, and join in discussions with others in the program. Interactive trackers on the Website measure the money saved and progress made during the quitting process. Web Coach can be used alone or in addition to phone support. Studies have found that using a tobacco Quitline can more than double a person’s chances of successfully quitting tobacco.
“KDHE is excited to offer this new resource to Kansans who are ready to quit tobacco use,” said KDHE Secretary Robert Moser, MD. “Quitting tobacco is one of the best things people can do to improve their health. Some people are more comfortable receiving cessation support online than by phone. Web Coach now gives Kansans that option, and it’s a cost effective way to deliver these important services to a broader audience.”
Web Coaches help people successfully quit using all forms of tobacco, including smokeless products. Tobacco users can e-mail, use live chat or call the Quitline toll-free anytime they need additional information or support. The phone and online service is staffed by expert Quit Coaches from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
