NYS Smokers' Quitline hosts Oct. 15 webinar on nicotine replacement therapy

One continuing medical education (CME) credit available for health care professionals

The New York State Smokers' Quitline invites all health care professionals to attend a free one-hour webinar at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, titled "Chew on This: How Accessing Nicotine Gum in Combination with the Nicotine Patch Bolsters Tobacco Cessation." Registration is available at www.nysmokefree.com/NewsRoom.

Members of the Quitline's marketing and outreach team, together with Dr. Susan Urban of the Quitline's health care professional task force and the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, will discuss the appropriate use of multiple nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products to treat tobacco dependence. The webinar will include case studies and time for questions at the end. One continuing medical education (CME) credit will be available for attendees upon successful completion of a short quiz and evaluation.

The Quitline regularly provides combination therapy in its starter kits for tobacco users, including the nicotine patch with nicotine gum or nicotine lozenges. Numerous research studies show that combination therapy can be two to three times as effective in the quest to become tobacco-free, compared to using just one form of NRT.

The New York State Smokers' Quitline is a service of the New York State Department of Health and based at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. It is one of the first and busiest state lines in the nation, and has responded to nearly 3 million calls since it began operating in 2000. The Quitline encourages nicotine users to talk with their health care professionals and access available Medicaid or health insurance benefits for stop-smoking medications. All New York state residents can call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) for coaching and resources, free of charge, seven days a week beginning at 9 a.m. Visit www.nysmokefree.com for more information.