Online Support May Be What You Need to Quit Smoking

If you're thinking about quitting smoking — or if you've already quit and feel yourself weakening — you might want to check out the American Lung Association's web-based support program,  Freedom From Smoking® (FFS) Online.

ALA adapted its successful smoking cessation clinic program to meet the needs of online users, giving them 24-hour-a-day access.  Like the in-person FFS program on which it is based, FFS Online meets three important criteria.  It's:

• medically and ethically sound
• cost-effective
• evidence-based

According to ALA, more than a million people have successfully quit smoking, using the FFS method.

FFS Online is based on modules, each with a 10- to 15-minute lesson to read and assignments for you to complete.  The program begins by helping you build momentum toward your chosen quit day.  There are lots of tools to help you with issues like deciding if you're really ready to quit, coping with the grief cycle as you face never having another smoke and knowing what to do when a craving comes. 

The approach is interactive, supportive and upbeat and does not use scare tactics or graphic pictures. 

It's also affordable.  FFS Online comes in two versions — Basic had seven modules and is free, while Premium is $15 a month for three months or $40 a year and has eight modules.  Not bad if you consider that the average price nationally for a pack of cigarettes in 2010 is $5.51.  The Premium version also includes electronic message boards that allow you meet online buddies to share advice, space to write your own blog of your experiences quitting and relaxation exercises to get you through the tough times.

"For many people, quitting smoking is more successful as a shared experience," said Norman Edelman, M.D. American Lung Association Chief Medical Officer. "For them, connection to the online community and access to the message board could provide the social support they need to quit for good."

Participants also have the opportunity to evaluate FFS Online. ALA plans to track the quit rate to see how the program stacks up with other smoking cessation efforts.