How to Quit Tobacco

The Michigan Tobacco Quitlink offers free information, tobacco treatment referral, online program, and text-messaging 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) in English or 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569) in Spanish.

Free counseling and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) may be available to certain callers.

Special offerings include programs for prenatal and youth commercial tobacco users. Counseling is available in English, Spanish and Arabic.

• My Life My Quit (MLMQ) is a free text and online program for youth under 18. MLMQ provides youth with information about e-cigarettes and how to quit vaping. Print-on-demand materials and other resources for parents, educators, and health care professionals are also available. 
• American Indian Commercial Tobacco Quitline, offered in partnership with the Michigan Tobacco Quitline. American Indian coaches provide services that have been developed by and for American Indians. 1-855-372-0037. 
• LBGTQ+ Michigan Tobacco Quitlink coaches receive special training and supervision for helping LGBTQ+ people to help create a safe environment for quitting. 
• Prenatal Michigan Tobacco Quitlink offers a special program to all prenatal callers. Enrollees will receive help to quit and stay quit throughout their pregnancy and after delivery. Coaches in the prenatal program are specialists in prenatal cessation and have received additional training to help during pregnancy. Enrollees will receive a gift card for each coaching appointment that they keep. 
• Asian Smokers Quitline offers free telephone counseling, self-help materials, and online help in four Asian languages (Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and Vietnamese). Chinese: 1-800-838-8917; Korean: 1-800-556-5564; Vietnamese: 1-800-778-8440. 
• Smokefree VET helps veterans who get their health care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) become tobacco-free, whether they smoke cigarettes, chew or dip tobacco, or use any other tobacco products. SmokefreeVET is a partnership between VA and the National Cancer Institute's Smokefree.gov Initiative. This partnership began with the SmokefreeVET text messaging program and has grown to include the SmokefreeVET website and a Facebook community. 
• Medicaid is here to help you quit tobacco! Your Medicaid benefit covers all seven FDA-approved medications to help people quit. You will need to visit your primary care provider to get a prescription. Even over-the-counter medications like the patch require a prescription. Most Medicaid Managed Care Plans partner with the free Michigan Tobacco Quitlink. To get help quitting, call or visit the Michigan Tobacco Quitlink or call the customer service line on the back of your Medicaid card.
  • Medicaid Benefits for Smoking Cessation
  • Free or Reduced-Cost Quit Smoking Medications

Providing tobacco cessation coverage for your employees will improve their health and will benefit you through lower insurance costs, higher worker productivity, and lower absenteeism.

• This free Return on Investment (ROI) calculator will help you determine how much providing tobacco cessation treatment could benefit your business. 
• Partnership opportunities with the Michigan Tobacco Quitlink are available. Contact us via the Quitlink Contact Form for information and a free quote.

Michigan Tobacco Quitlink

The Quitlink offers free information and referral to all Michigan residents who want to quit using tobacco. Qualifying residents also may receive free one-on-one coaching, online coaching, and nicotine replacement therapy to help them quit.

All Quitlink coaches have a minimum of a bachelor's degree and extensive training in tobacco dependence treatment. Many coaches are certified tobacco dependence treatment specialists, as well.

• Health Professional section of Quitlink 
• Michigan Tobacco Quitlink Fact Sheets
  • What is the Michigan Tobacco Quitlink, and how does it work?
  • What happens when your patient is referred to the Quitlink?
  • Who qualifies for Quitlink benefits? (what various types of insurance cover)
  • Medications to Help Patients Quit — Dosing Guidelines
     

Three Fast Ways to Refer Your Patients to Michigan Tobacco Quitlink

Once you've identified a patient who uses tobacco but is ready to quit within the next 30 days, referral to the Michigan Tobacco Quitlink is quick and easy using one of three available options:

1. Web Referral for patients without nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) contraindications;
2. Fax Referral for patients with NRT contraindications; and
3. eReferral to utilize electronic health record (EHR) technology.

Visit the Provider Referral page on the Michigan Tobacco Quitlink website to learn how to do it.

Please Note: Quitlink posters and referral cards are available to help you promote Michigan Tobacco Quitlink services to your patients. To order, e-mail MDHHS-QuitKit@michigan.gov. Please provide quantity needed and clinic address when ordering.

Clinical Practice Websites

These sites provide education on how to talk to your patients about quitting and how to integrate tobacco dependence treatment protocols into your practice or health system.

• Michigan Tobacco Quitlink Free Continuing Education Courses 
• Healthy Behavior Optimization for Michigan Provider Toolkit 
• Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence — 2008 Update 
• Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2020 
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: Tobacco Smoking Cessation in Adults, Including Pregnant Women 
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: Prevention and Cessation of Tobacco Use in Children and Adolescents