Clinics & Health Care Providers
Helping People Quit Commercial Tobacco
Many people who use commercial tobacco want to quit. The good news: free help is available to all Kansans. People who use phone coaching and quit medications are twice as likely to successfully quit.
Learn About the Kansas Free Quit Support Programs
Kansas Tobacco Quitline (KanQuit)
The Kansas Tobacco QuitLine provides free one-on-one coaching for Kansans ready to quit using any form of tobacco. It is designed to help the tobacco user take control of their attempt to quit. Trained coaches provide participants support and help them create an individual plan to quit tobacco use and fight cravings. The QuitLine is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at the KanQuit website and by phone at 800-784-8669 (800-QUIT-NOW).
KanQuit Resources
Kansas Tobacco Cessation Help Online Training
Providers and other professionals can access the Kansas Tobacco Cessation Help (KaTCH) free self-directed training, which is accredited for 2 hours medical CME, nursing CNE and pharmacy CPE. It is structured into 7 learning modules, each ranging from 15 to 30 minutes. Modules include information on vaping, teen tobacco use and Quitline counseling call samples.
KaTCH Resources
My Life, My Quit™ for Teens
My Life, My Quit™ is a program to help Kansas teens ages 13 to 17 quit tobacco and nicotine, including the use of vaping products. The program is free, confidential and provides developmentally appropriate education. Youth will work with a coach who has received additional training for engaging youth and the social influences of tobacco and vaping products.
Youth can call or text 855-891-9989 to enroll or visit the My Life, My Quit website.
My Life My QuitMy Life, My Quit Resources
American Indian Quitline
The American Indian program is available for any Kansas resident who identifies as American Indian. The American Indian program has a dedicated team of American Indian coaches who understand culture and respect traditions. In addition to up to 10 one-on-one coaching sessions, the program offers email and text support and educational materials.
Call 855-524-7848 (855-5AI-QUIT) or visit the American Indian Quitline Program website.
Behavioral Health Program
The Behavioral Health Program offers specialized support for people living with a substance use disorder or mental illness, such as:
- Alcohol or substance abuse disorder
- Anxiety
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Schizophrenia
The program offers 7 phone sessions with coaches who can help enrollees understand their tobacco use in connection to their mood, thoughts, and behaviors and help develop a personalized quit plan to provide prevention tips and coping techniques. Enrollees are eligible for 4 weeks of free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (choice of patch, gum, lozenge) shipped to their home. Call 800-784-8669 (QUIT-NOW).
Behavioral Health Program Resources
Pregnancy Program
The Pregnancy and Postpartum Program offers judgement-free support to help pregnant and postpartum women. The program offers 5 coaching sessions during pregnancy and 4 sessions postpartum with the same female coach. It also includes the option to receive free text message support. The program can be personalized to a mother's needs, whether they are planning to become pregnant, are currently pregnant, or just had a baby. Call 800-784-8669 (QUIT-NOW).
Pregnancy Program Resources
KanCare "Medicaid" Tobacco Cessation Benefits
KanCare (Aetna, Sunflower and United Healthcare) recipients in Kansas are eligible for up to 4 rounds of any Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved cessation medication per year with no lifetime caps. Recipients also have access to ongoing tobacco cessation counseling services with no annual or lifetime caps. The Kansas Tobacco QuitLine will provide two weeks of free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (choice of patch, gum, lozenge) shipped to the home of KanCare members who can provide their member identification number during the intake process.
KanCare Resources
Refer the People You Serve to Free Quit Support
All Kansas residents - whether they have health insurance or not - have access to free support to quit commercial tobacco. Health care providers and community-based organizations can refer patients and clients to free support.
How to Make a Referral
- As you and your client talk about their commercial tobacco use, you can offer the option of having a trained QuitLine health coach call the patient or client.
- If your patient agrees, visit the How to Refer Patients page and complete the fax or web referral form.
- Once you submit the referral to the QuitLine, a health coach will contact your patient within 24 hours to offer enrollment.
For more information, visit the How to Refer Patients page.
Why You Should Make Referrals
QuitLine's health coaches have extensive training to guide individuals through behavioral counseling and medication support. Coaches are dedicated to working with participants one-on-one to create a quit plan that will work for them.
In Kansas:
- Nearly 1 in 4 (24.4%) Kansas adults use at least 1 of the following products: conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes and/or smokeless tobacco.1
- Current cigarette smoking has significantly decreased since 2011, but prevalence is still high among vulnerable subpopulations. Overall, 16.2% of Kansas adults still smoke cigarettes1, and tobacco use is still the leading cause of preventable death in Kansas.2
- More than 1 in 4 (27.1%) Kansas adults have ever used e-cigarettes. 6.9% of Kansas adults currently use e-cigarettes.1
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Matt Schrock
Tobacco Quitline Coordinator