Preparing to Quit
The right mindset can make or break your effort.
Be positive but realistic: your habits won’t change overnight, but every day you go without nicotine is an achievement. Take it one day at a time and know that thousands of people just like you have quit tobacco successfully with help from the SC Tobacco Quitline.
Tips For a Successful Quit
Tips for a Successful Quit
Tip 1: Set a Quit Date
Setting a realistic quit date will give you time to prepare for success. Your coach will work with you to set a quit date and will help you develop a detailed quit plan designed just for you.
Tip 2: Find Your Why
What's important to you is important to us. Make a list of the reasons you want to quit and let us support you each step of the way. Look at your list often to help you stay on track.
Tip 3: Identify Triggers
Think ahead about routines, people, and other situations that may trigger a craving or relapse so you can be prepared to deal with these challenges.
Tip 4: Remove Reminders
Seeing reminders of tobacco products can make it harder to quit successfully. Remove reminders from your home, car, and workplace before you start your quit.
Tip 5: Stay Accountable
Tell your friends, family, and coworkers about your decision to quit so they can offer support and motivation and keep you accountable.
Tip 6: Lean on Us
Our trained coaches will support you every step of the way with one-on-one phone counseling. Online and text support options are also available, as well as non-prescription nicotine-based quit medications like gum, patches, or lozenges (if appropriate) . Enroll now, we're here any time you need us.
Increase Your Chances
Increase Your Chance of Success
Working with a coach at the SC Tobacco Quitline significantly increases your chance of quitting successfully.
On good days, bad days, and everything in between, our coaches are here for you. With tips, motivation, and an individualized quit plan, your coach can help you stay on track and reach your goals.
Most importantly, each coach understands how difficult it can be to quit — many of them have gone through the process themselves. They're available to support you when you've slipped up or had a bad day, no questions asked.
Everyone enrolled for free quit support with the SC Tobacco Quitline receives:
- Coach+ program of multiple counseling sessions with a trained coach
- Customized quit plan and resources tailored to each participant's unique needs
- 24/7 text and web-based support with an online dashboard and personal profile
- Non-prescription nicotine-based quit medications (if appropriate)
Always Judgment-Free
Our counseling services are free and available to all South Carolinians, ages 13 and older, who want to quit nicotine. Services are available in multiple languages and are designed to meet specific needs based on what works best for you.
Anyone needing extra support can find a range of materials, tools, and enhanced services to help them quit for keeps.
Learn More About What Tobacco & Nicotine Are Doing to Your Body
DPH Division of Tobacco Prevention & Control
Policy and program efforts to reduce the burden of tobacco use in South Carolina.
DPH Tobacco Cessation Resource Directory
A resource from the North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC) and the SC Tobacco Quitline.
Truth Initiative
Truth Initiative is America's largest nonprofit public health organization committed to preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empowering quitting for all.
DPH Risks of Vaping
The long-term health effects of vaping are unknown, but we do know that youth e-cigarette and vape use has been declared an epidemic by the US Surgeon General.
Find information at Vaping | South Carolina Department of Public Health.
Truth Initiative’s Vaping Has Real Risks
AHA's How Smoking and Nicotine Damage Your Body
Smoking doesn't just cause lung cancer — it's also linked to other cancers, heart disease, stroke and other chronic diseases.
CDC Health Effects of Vaping
CDC Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking
Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases, and harms the health of smokers in general. Quitting smoking can add years to your life.
Learn more about the Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking from the CDC.
CDC Tobacco Health Equity
People with behavioral health conditions find it more difficult to quit nicotine.
Read more from the CDC about what this means and how it impacts you.
CDC Pathways to Freedom
The Pathways to Freedom Guide was produced in partnership with key segments of the Black community to address the national concern over the high rates of smoking among the Black population.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Any SC Healthy Connections Medicaid member can enroll with the SC Tobacco Quitline. In fact, the SC Tobacco Quitline originally began with Medicaid and uninsured population services. Talk to a coach and find the program that best meets your needs. Enroll and we will send a 2-week starter kit of non-prescription quit medications (gum, patch, or lozenge). You will need to talk to your SC Healthy Connections provider to keep using the right medication for you. Full benefit SC Healthy Connections Medicaid members can get any FDA-approved prescription and/or non-prescription quit medication with no copay. And your provider does not have to get prior authorization to prescribe these products for you. Be sure to let your coach know that you are a member of SC Healthy Connections Medicaid.
The SC Tobacco Quitline is open year-round: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are closed on:
- Independence Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- ½ day Christmas Eve
- Christmas Day
- ½ day New Year’s Eve
- Late open on New Year’s Day (to help people with their resolution to live tobacco-free).
Our coaches are highly trained specialists who are passionate about supporting you on your journey to quit. Many of our coaches are successful quitters themselves who have counseling and behavioral health backgrounds. We never judge; we are here to help.
No health insurance? No problem –we can still help. We help all South Carolinians regardless of insurance status, but extra help is available for people who have no health insurance or who are "underinsured" with up to 5 coaching calls and, for most uninsured or underinsured participants, up to 12 weeks of free non-prescription quit medications.
Relapse is perfectly normal. Quitting is hard work, and the pull of nicotine addiction can be overpowering. No one knows this better than our coaches; talk to them so that they can help you overcome this hurdle. Your coach has a range of strategies and tools to help with slip-ups.
Be kind to yourself and remember that you are on a journey. Detours may happen along the way, but we are here to help you get back on track. Even if you relapse after your program has ended, just re-enroll. We'll pick up where we left off.
Nicotine in any form is not safe. It puts stress on your heart, increases mental stress, reduces effectiveness of mental and behavioral health medications, and causes addiction.
No. SC Tobacco Quitline services in South Carolina are completely free.
No, insurance isn't required for enrollment in the SC Tobacco Quitline. If your health insurance plan provides additional quit benefits, you may be referred to your health insurance provider. Follow up with your coach if you have more questions.
When you call the SC Tobacco Quitline, you will speak directly to a coach who will register you for services and answer any questions.