Resources to Help You Quit Smoking
There are many resources to help you quit tobacco and a lot of ways to get support! You don’t have to do this alone.
Want help learning about which types of support and resources can help you quit? Call the HPSM Health Promotion Unit at 650-616-2165.
Ask your primary care provider (PCP) for help
Your PCP wants you to be as healthy as you can be, and that includes quitting tobacco products. Schedule an appointment with your PCP today.
Tips to help you get ready for your visit
Before your visit
- Review and answer these questions
- Prepare your quit plan
- Write down questions about tobacco use and quitting
During your visit
- Ask your PCP the questions you wrote down
- Review your quit plan
- Openly share how long you have used tobacco
- Talk about previous quitting attempts — what has or has not worked for you
- Share concerns you have about quitting, such as what may be preventing you from quitting
After your visit
- Set reminders for appointment follow-ups if needed
- Follow up on what you discussed with your PCP during the visit: this may include getting medicines and/or connecting with a coaching counselor who can help you quit
- Follow through on the quit plan you created with your PCP
Coaching
The power to quit is in your hands. Getting professional support makes that power even stronger! Coaching and medicine can help. Think about adding these resources to your quit plan.
There are many quit lines you can call to get phone coaching at no cost to you. Quit coaches are trained to help you quit using tobacco products. They will listen to your concerns and answer your questions about quitting. They can also offer support, tips and ideas for other resources that may help you quit.
Kick It California
Kick It California is a statewide organization that provides no-cost services to help you quit smoking today. This program is proven to help people quit with phone coaching and counseling as well as text reminders in many languages. Call to speak with a counselor today or send a text to sign up for the text coaching program.
- English: 1-800-300-8086 or Text “Quit Smoking” or Quit Vaping” to 66819
- Español: 1-800-600-8191 o Envie “Dejar de Fumar” o “No Vapear” to 66819
- 中文 (Chinese): 1-800-838-8917
- 한국인 (Korean): 1-800-556-5564
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese): 1-800-778-8440
National Quitline
National Quitline provides information on quitting smoking at no cost. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or 1-800-784-8669 to learn more.
Medicine
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved seven medicines to help people 18 years and older quit tobacco. Medicine treatment options include:
- Nicotine replacement therapies such as skin patches, lozenges, nicotine gum, nicotine nasal spray and nicotine inhalers
- Medicines that reduce cravings, such as Bupropion, SR (Zyban) and Varenicline (Chantix)
Make sure you get a prescription from your PCP for medicines to quit tobacco, including over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, so your health plan can cover the cost of your prescription. HPSM Medi-Cal members can get these medicines through their pharmacy benefit with Medi-Cal Rx at no cost. Other HPSM plans, including HealthWorx and CareAdvantage, also cover medicines for quitting smoking at no cost through the HPSM pharmacy benefit.
Talk with your primary care provider about which treatment options and medicines would work best for you.
Additional resources
Smokefree.gov
Smokefree.gov offers tips, tools and resources to help you stay tobacco-free, whether you’re planning to quit or recently quit. Information is also available in Spanish.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
CDC provides information on managing withdrawal symptoms, tips on how to quit and additional online resources.
Stanford Medicine
Stanford Medicine's information and resources help adolescents and young adults quit nicotine. Information is also available in Spanish.
There are also apps and tools that can help you quit. Try the no-cost apps from Smokefree.gov and Kick It California.
Read our special-edition quit tobacco newsletter!
Our eight-page quit tobacco newsletter is designed to help those who smoke, vape or chew break the habit. It explains the benefits of quitting, the six steps to building a personalized quit plan and the resources that can help people quit. To get a print copy mailed to you, call the Health Education Unit at 650-616-2165.