Feb. 13, 2012

Contact:         Alice Dalla Palu

                                                  1-866-974-7848 

News for Immediate Release

Tobacco Free Northeast PA

Encourages Tobacco Users to Quit for Love

Tobacco Free Northeast PAencourages smokers to Quit for Love -- a statewide campaign offering free nicotine patches and counseling through the PA Free Quitline. Quit for Love is an opportunity for tobacco users to quit for someone they love, even if that person is you. “There is no better time to quit than the day you decide to do it,” states Alice Dalla Palu, executive director of Tobacco Free Northeast PA. “But be prepared, establish a quit plan, preferably with a professional counselor who knows how to guide you through the process.”

With the Quit for Love campaign, smokers have the ability to choose either telephone counseling or local individual counseling combined with nicotine replacement products. Research has shown that using both counseling and medications together doubles your chance of success.

Tobacco Free Northeast PA oversees tobacco prevention and cessation programs in the Northeast District of Pennsylvania in the counties of: Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming. Services are provided through a grant with PA Department of Health. “We want smokers to know that we are here to be a resource for them,” continues Mrs. Dalla Palu. “By offering counseling and medications, individuals can quit and stay tobacco free.” 

Individuals interested in receiving a free NRT kit should call the PA Free Quitline at

800-QUIT-NOW or 800-784-8669. Quit coaches ask callers if they are ready to set a quit date and have any medical conditions that would rule out the safe use of nicotine patches. Callers then enroll in a series of free tobacco counseling sessions and an NRT packet is mailed to them after their first counseling session. The NRT kits are available while supplies last.

If someone prefers planning their quit attempt with a counselor face to face, they can call 866-974-QUIT (7848) or visit www.tobaccofreene.comto access local providers. Providers assess medication needs at the first visit and help determine which medications will be optimal for the person along with determining the number of counseling sessions they may need.