Andy Colon decided to quit his tobacco addiction and went all out to create a healthier lifestyle for himself. He changed the way he ate, exercised more and, of course, stopped smoking. A friend told him about the Wellness@Work Tobacco Cessation program and Andy loved the idea of getting the support to quit, as well as the convenience of meeting at his workplace. It gave him the “backbone for change.” The free medications and the incentive of $100 for remaining tobacco free for 6 months encouraged him to reach his goal.

Andy Colon decided to quit his tobacco addiction, and went all out to create a healthier lifestyle for himself. He changed the way he ate, exercised more and, of course, stopped smoking.

A friend told him about the Wellness@Work Tobacco Cessation program and Andy loved the idea of getting the support to quit, as well as the convenience of meeting at his workplace. It gave him the “backbone for change.” The free medications and the incentive of $100 for remaining tobacco free for 6 months, encouraged him to reach his goal.

Six months later, Andy’s asthma is under control, his energy level has increased and he is saving money. He also went from borderline diabetes and high blood pressure to normal. Becoming tobacco free, eating healthier, and being physically active all contribute to the sense of health and well-being Andy now experiences.

If you are interested in becoming tobacco free, contact Barbara Silver: 984-974-8455; barbara_silver@med.unc.edu.

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Matt Lawrence came to the Wellness@Work Program dipping a can of tobacco every day, having made multiple “practice attempts” without sustaining abstinence. He hated the control that tobacco exerted over him. In his position as Deputy Fire Chief, he wanted to be a good role model and had become weary of hiding his tobacco use. Matt was determined to become tobacco free, so determined that he tried the patches, lozenges, Chantix, and Wellbutrin – including various combinations of these cessation medications. He set a goal of quitting in conjunction with his department’s cancer awareness campaign, Pink Heals, which raises funds for Lineberger Cancer Center. He proudly states that he last used tobacco on August 11, 2015.

Matt Lawrence came to the Wellness@Work Program dipping a can of tobacco every day, having made multiple “practice attempts” without sustaining abstinence. He hated the control that tobacco exerted over him. In his position as Deputy Fire Chief, he wanted to be a good role model and had become weary of hiding his tobacco use. Matt was determined to become tobacco free, so determined that he tried the patches, lozenges, Chantix, and Wellbutrin – including various combinations of these cessation medications. He set a goal of quitting in conjunction with his department’s cancer awareness campaign, Pink Heals, which raises funds for Lineberger Cancer Center. He proudly states that he last used tobacco on August 11, 2015.

People experience different levels of difficulty in becoming tobacco-free. Matt sets a good example of perseverance and determination to complete a goal. He expresses gratitude to the Wellness@Work program for sticking with him as he kept trying different medications and strategies.

Matt’s most recent dentist visit brought welcome news that his mouth looks like he never dipped at all. He feels so positive about being free from the control of tobacco that he now encourages others to become join him in living tobacco free. His message to others: “It’s possible! Be strong!”

If you would like to quit using tobacco, Wellness@Work has a free program to help you. Nicotine patches, gum and lozenges are free to employees of Chapel Hill for three months. Chantix and Wellbutrin can be prescribed by the nurse practitioner and Blue Cross/Blue Shield will cover most, if not all, of the cost.

For more information, contact Barbara Silver at 984-974-8455 or barbara_silver@med.unc.edu.

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May 2, 2017 will mark two years of Susan Hinson’s quitting cigarettes, and is also the due date for her first grandchild! She feels excited about the baby’s arrival and also pleased that she doesn’t have to worry about her smoking affecting the child.

Susan learned about Tobacco Free Tar Heels (TFTH) during a hospital health fair. She met with Barbara Silver, the TFTH tobacco treatment specialist, and together they developed a plan. After discussing possible cessation medications and her past experiences with them, Susan decided that Chantix might just work for her – and it did.

May 2, 2017 will mark two years of Susan Hinson’s quitting cigarettes, and is also the due date for her first grandchild! She feels excited about the baby’s arrival and also pleased that she doesn’t have to worry about her smoking affecting the child.

Susan learned about Tobacco Free Tar Heels (TFTH) during a hospital health fair. She met with Barbara Silver, the TFTH tobacco treatment specialist, and together they developed a plan. After discussing possible cessation medications and her past experiences with them, Susan decided that Chantix might just work for her – and it did.

Smoking “consumes you,” she says. “You think about it all the time.” She enjoys the freedom of NOT thinking about it anymore. Susan delights in being able to breathe better and can sing again. Being part of social groups without having to leave in order to smoke a cigarette adds to the plusses of being tobacco free. This became especially evident at her son’s wedding, where no other guests smoked. In addition, she likes pocketing the money she used to spend on cigarettes.

Susan appreciates the Tobacco Free Tar Heels program for the guidance she received from her counselor and the three months of free medications. She never felt pushed to quit and believes the ability to set goals at her own pace contributed to her success.

If you are a health care employee who is interested in quitting tobacco – smoking, chewing, dipping or vaping – please contact Barbara Silver to enroll for 12 weeks of FREE medication and support. Dependents enrolled on the employee’s health plan are also eligible.

Please contact Barbara Silver at 984-974-8455 or barbara_silver@med.unc.edu.

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Erin Barringer, a nursing assistant in the Neurosciences Hospital, began smoking socially in 10th grade, and over the years she increased her smoking to one-half pack of cigarettes a day. She continued at this level until 2010 when she found out she was pregnant. She remained tobacco free through her pregnancy and breastfeeding until her daughter, Jalliyah, was about 6 months old. At that time, she returned to smoking socially — and also did so to help deal with stress.

When Jalliyah was old enough to be aware of Erin’s smoking, she told her mother that she didn’t like it and made her promise to quit. Erin agreed, but wasn’t sure how to go about it until one day she saw Laurel Sisler from the Nicotine Dependence Program visiting inpatients on her floor. Erin asked if there was a program to help employees quit smoking and Laurel told her about the Tobacco Free Tar Heels Program (TFTH).

Erin Barringer, a nursing assistant in the Neurosciences Hospital, began smoking socially in 10th grade, and over the years she increased her smoking to one-half pack of cigarettes a day. She continued at this level until 2010 when she found out she was pregnant. She remained tobacco free through her pregnancy and breastfeeding until her daughter, Jalliyah, was about 6 months old. At that time, she returned to smoking socially — and also did so to help deal with stress.

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January 26, 2016 will be two years since Matt Englund has been tobacco free. This wasn’t Matt’s first attempt at quitting, but he says it’s his last. Four years prior, he quit for a year without using any medication. He used the “Delay” method. (When you crave a cigarette, delay, delay, delay.) That worked until the stress of school, work, and a new baby made him feel like he wanted to smoke again. This most recent period of smoking lasted about 18 months. It was then that he went to his primary care physician at Family Medicine, who asked him if he smoked. When he responded “yes,” the physician asked if he wanted help in quitting. When Matt responded “yes” again, he referred Matt to the ������ Tobacco Free Tar Heels Program. Since his wife was a ������ Health Care employee, and Matt was a dependent on her insurance, he was able to enter the free program.

January 26, 2016 will be two years since Matt Englund has been tobacco free. This wasn’t Matt’s first attempt at quitting, but he says it’s his last.

Four years prior, he quit for a year without using any medication. He used the “Delay” method. (When you crave a cigarette, delay, delay, delay.) That worked until the stress of school, work, and a new baby made him feel like he wanted to smoke again. This most recent period of smoking lasted about 18 months. It was then that he went to his primary care physician at Family Medicine, who asked him if he smoked. When he responded “yes,” the physician asked if he wanted help in quitting. When Matt responded “yes” again, he referred Matt to the ������ Tobacco Free Tar Heels Program. Since his wife was a ������ Health Care employee, and Matt was a dependent on her insurance, he was able to enter the free program.

Matt and Barbara Silver, his Tobacco Treatment Specialist, discussed his triggers for smoking and some strategies for avoiding those triggers. One strategy included his wearing a nicotine patch to help lessen withdrawal symptoms. Other strategies he employed were keeping busy at home, positive self-talk, chewing cinnamon gum, and avoiding the smoking areas at the local restaurant where he worked. It wasn’t an instant fix, and Matt was confronted with temptations when many of his fellow employees smoked on their breaks.

He was determined to persevere and wanted to be “the best person I can be for my wife.” As he tapered down his smoking, Matt noticed he was having fewer triggers, getting more things done around the house, and had more time and money. Other benefits were smelling better, being able to take deep breaths, and not having to go out in the snow to smoke.

Matt remarked that it gets easier the farther away he gets from the days he used to smoke. He appreciated the accountability he had to Barbara and the Tobacco Free Tar Heels during weekly and then bi-weekly check-ins. He said it helped keep him on track. He said there is no shame in getting help.

These days, Matt is happily ensconced as a writer and editor for ������ Health Care, and he and his wife are expecting baby #3 any day. (Maybe by the time this goes to press!)

If you are a ������ Health Care employee or dependent*, you are eligible for the Tobacco Free Tar Heels Program, which provides 3 months of FREE medication and support.

*Family members who are listed as covered dependents under the State Health Plan are eligible.

For more information, contact Barbara Silver, 984-974-8455 or email tobaccofreetarheels@unc.edu.

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Lana Simons, a Chapel Hill Transit employee, has been tobacco free for 2½ years! She says it’s a “nicer way to live,” not having cigarettes as part of her life, and she is proud of herself for doing it.

Lana had never tried to quit smoking before, but when she heard that the Wellness@Work program offered free medication and $100 incentives for quitting, she said to herself, “might as well try.” She was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was, especially after smoking a pack a day for 50 years.

Lana Simons, a Chapel Hill Transit employee, has been tobacco free for 2½ years! She says it’s a “nicer way to live,” not having cigarettes as part of her life, and she is proud of herself for doing it.

Lana had never tried to quit smoking before, but when she heard that the program offered free medication and $100 incentives for quitting, she said to herself, “might as well try.” She was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was, especially after smoking a pack a day for 50 years.

Using nicotine patches and gum helped ease her withdrawal symptoms. She also identified things in her daily life which triggered her desire to smoke, and made some behavior changes to “unhook” her from these triggers.

In addition to the Wellness@Work program, Lana had additional motivations for becoming tobacco free. She had begun to hate the smell of cigarettes on her clothes and on other people. Her doctor had explained that smoking had contributed to polyps and to the thickening of her vocal cords.

The benefits she now enjoys are a clearer speaking voice, a clean smelling house and car, not having to think about smoking, and using the money she is saving to buy fruits and vegetables to eat healthier. Lana actually apologized to her family and friends for making them endure the smell of her smoking in their cars and houses, because she knew, even if she smoked outside, she was bringing the smell inside with her. She also loves, when going to the doctor, being able to answer the question on the intake form “Do you smoke?” with a “No!”

She is grateful to the tobacco treatment specialist, Barbara Silver, for giving her tips to help her along the way. She enjoyed the easy conversations, making her meetings with Barbara the fun part of her journey.

If you are an employee with the Town of Chapel Hill and are interested in finding out more about this free program, contact Barbara Silver at 984-974-8455 or barbara_silver@med.unc.edu.

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Howard Sutton, clinical support technician in the Department of Anesthesia, enrolled in the Tobacco Free Tar Heels program three years ago. Today he is tobacco free.When Howard Sutton enrolled in the Tobacco Free Tar Heels (TFTH) program three years ago, stress in his life seemed to be the biggest barrier to quitting smoking. After trying different strategies for dealing with stress, he always found himself turning back to smoking for relief.

During the TFTH sessions, he learned about medications to help deal with cravings, which were also a source of stress for him. Using nicotine gum, he quit smoking in October 2012. After his initial success, he re-enrolled in the program. This time he chose to take Chantix. After only two weeks on the medication, he was “done” with smoking, and has remained that way for twenty months. His ten-year-old daughter is so proud of him. She checks every day to see if he’s still smoke free. He feels grateful to respond each day: “Yes, I’m still smoke free.”

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When nursing assistant Rebecca Langham enrolled in ������ Health Care System’s Tobacco Free Tar Heels (TFTH) program, she had been smoking a pack of cigarettes daily since she was 16 years old. Today, thanks to TFTH and her own personal dedication, she’s tobacco free.

When Rebecca Langham enrolled in ������ Health Care System’s Tobacco Free Tar Heels (TFTH) program, she had been smoking a pack of cigarettes daily since she was 16 years old. She noticed how much time smoking took out of her day and hoped once she became smoke-free that she would have more free time, be more focused and be healthier. In the meantime, she had to deal with her triggers for smoking: craving one first thing in the morning, when she had caffeine, after eating, and while driving. During her TFTH session, she and the tobacco treatment specialist discussed strategies for decreasing her desire to smoke at those times. Rebecca also chose to use the medication Chantix to help with quitting.

������ Health Care employees who participate in the TFTH program attend an hour-long initial assessment that includes a carbon monoxide (CO) screening. A safe level of CO, indicating no smoking, is 6 parts per million (ppm) or less. On Rebecca’s first visit, her CO level was 18 ppm; it plummeted to 2 ppm after she quit smoking. This evidence of decreased toxins in her body served to encourage and reinforce her goal of remaining tobacco free.

Rebecca has been smoke free since Oct. 25, 2012. She feels healthier, can breathe better, doesn’t smell from cigarette smoke, isn’t sick as much, has more money, and isn’t controlled by cigarettes any more. And yes, she has a lot more free time to do things she loves as well as to explore new activities and interests..

Rebecca appreciated the Tobacco Free Tar Heels program for the accountability built into it. She knew she’d be having regular conversations about her smoking with the tobacco treatment specialist. She’s pleased because there was no judgment about her smoking and the meeting hours were flexible depending on her schedule.

She would advise anyone interested in quitting smoking or tobacco use to get support from an objective, non-judgmental source, such as the TFTH program. For her it was the “right time to quit.”

If you (or a family member covered by your State Health Plan) are interested in the Tobacco Free Tar Heels program, contact Barbara Silver at 984-974-8455 or tobaccofreetarheels@unc.edu. More information about TFTH, including employee stories, can be found at .

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Robb English, the Aquatics Supervisor in Chapel Hill’s Parks and Recreation Department, dipped almost a can of tobacco a day when he came to the Wellness at Work Tobacco Free Employee Program. As a teenager who played sports, Robb says that dipping tobacco was part of the culture, less overt and obvious than smoking cigarettes. But now Robb wanted to give himself the best chance for living a healthy life, so he took the first step: enrolling in a program that offered support and medications to help him achieve his goal.

Robb English, the Aquatics Supervisor in Chapel Hill’s Parks and Recreation Department, dipped almost a can of tobacco a day when he came to the Wellness at Work Tobacco Free Employee Program. As a teenager who played sports, Robb says that dipping tobacco was part of the culture, less overt and obvious than smoking cigarettes.

But now Robb wanted to give himself the best chance for living a healthy life, so he took the first step: enrolling in a program that offered support and medications to help him achieve his goal.

He chose to use nicotine patches and lozenges to help him quit and found they helped reduce his cravings. In addition, the lozenges satisfied the need to put something in his mouth. Both helped him reduce his tobacco use gradually until he weaned himself off the tobacco and then the NRT entirely.

In addition to using the medications, Robb appreciated working on behaviors associated with his dipping. With treatment specialist Barbara Silver, he developed strategies to help deal with his triggers. For example, he always used to dip while driving. When he began to substitute nicotine lozenges, healthy snacks and toothpicks, he stopped relying on dip. He has been 100% tobacco free for 2 years now and doesn’t even think about dipping.

Robb notes a number of benefits from being tobacco free, including saving money, having more energy, tasting his food better, the inside of his mouth being smoother. Healthy eating and regular exercise are now part of his lifestyle. His wife and children are thrilled, and the last time he went to the doctor, he was proud to answer “No” when asked the question, “Do you use tobacco?”

Robb appreciates that the Town of Chapel Hill Wellness@Work offers a program where he could receive free medications and weekly support. He feels that programs like this make for a healthier work force.

If you smoke or use tobacco, contact Barbara Silver at 984-974-8445 or barbara_silver@med.unc.edu to learn how the resources available through the Wellness@Work program can double or triple your chances of becoming tobacco free.

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Smoking on and off since I was thirteen, I’d tried every trick in the book to stop. Every attempt ended in failure, whether it was stopping cold turkey or gradually with the help of medication. I became, as the old joke goes, an expert on quitting. After all, I’d done it so many times. But, with the help of the Nicotine Dependence Program it seems to be working. Not only am I smoke-free, but I don’t really think much about smoking any more. I knew when I chose to stop that I needed help to do it. I was looking for a program that would provide structure and accountability without sermons or judgment. This program does that and more.

Smoking on and off since I was thirteen, I’d tried every trick in the book to stop. Every attempt ended in failure, whether it was stopping cold turkey or gradually with the help of medication. I became, as the old joke goes, an expert on quitting. After all, I’d done it so many times. But, with the help of the Nicotine Dependence Program it seems to be working. Not only am I smoke-free, but I don’t really think much about smoking any more.

I knew when I chose to stop that I needed help to do it. I was looking for a program that would provide structure and accountability without sermons or judgment. This program does that and more. The structure is a fluid one, designed to help me quit at a pace and with a method that suits my individual needs and lifestyle. No rigid rules. No group dynamic. No one-size-fits all strategy. The meetings with my counselor played a big part in my success. Her support, suggestions and encouragement helped me keep to my commitment without feeling guilty, under-appreciated or anxious.

We began our meetings on a weekly basis. At our first session we devised a plan that seemed practical and do-able: patches and medication. I began with the 21 mg patch, which I wore for about six weeks. I also began a daily regimen of Wellbutrin, medication that reduces nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Used in tandem, this seemed to do the trick. After several weeks, I reduced my patch to 14 mg and began to see my counselor every other week and then every three weeks. Today I have been smoke free since August and will reduce my nicotine patch to 7 mg in a few days. My next session with my counselor is now on a four-week basis.

The support I received from my counselor has added to my success. At her suggestion, I wrote a goodbye letter to my cigarettes. This sounds corny, but it truly helped me say good-bye to something on which I had relied for so long. I also kept a daily log of my progress, recording my feelings as I continued through the program. This was a tremendous help to me. It allowed me to vent my frustration and anxiety and became a useful reality check.

I have had few, if any, withdrawal symptoms. The method we devised for my quitting ensured a gradual weaning off of nicotine (thanks to the patches) and almost none of the anxiety or anger (due to the Wellbutrin) that I always found so intolerable that I went back to smoking.

Do I still want a cigarette? Sometimes, but not nearly as often as I used to. With the help of my counselor I’ve come to recognize how few of the pack-a-day I smoked were ones I really enjoyed and how many were strictly a force of habit. Her validation of my progress was really appreciated, as was her flexibility and guidance. The program was tailor-made to suit my needs and I recommend it highly.

To make an appointment with the Nicotine Dependence Program at ������, please call (919) 843-1521.

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