COMMITTED TO BREAKING THE NICOTINE HABIT? 

         There IS Help *

The health of our employees/students is of concern to us here at IUPUI.  If you are one of the many people who have made the decision to improve your health by breaking free from the grasp that tobacco has on your life, we want to make sure you have the information you need to get the job done.  Therefore, here are some ideas.  Yes, it may cost you a few bucks, but if you divert the $20-$35 per week that smoking is currently costing you to your new “freedom” plan, you’ll likely still come out way ahead and can then use your savings to go on a dream vacation to celebrate your success! 

The Rewards 

You’ll breathe easier, have healthier teeth and gums and, most importantly, you’ll have reduced the chances that you’ll have a stroke; heart attack; or lung, bladder, cervical, throat, esophagus, kidney, mouth or pancreatic cancer.  You’ll also feel like a better parent/spouse/friend knowing that you are not exposing those you love to secondhand smoke and, if you are thinking of becoming pregnant, you’ll sleep better knowing that by quitting you did not allow your baby to be exposed to the toxins that smoking introduces to the baby’s body.

On-Campus Cessation Opportunities 

IUPUI Human Resources Administration has contracted with The Clarian Tobacco Control Center to provide smoking cessation counseling services to IUPUI employees and students at a reduced rate.  Students can attend four one-on-one or group counseling sessions for $25.  Employees can attend four one-on-one or group counseling sessions for $25 (if their gross IUPUI pay is under $26,520) or $50 (if their gross IUPUI pay is $26,520 or above).  Call 962-9662 for details.

Options Offered by IUPUI Health Insurers 

If you are currently enrolled in M-Plan healthcare coverage:
M-Plan offers tools for those who have tried to quit smoking before, but have been unsuccessful.  They highlight stages and offer exercises that can help motivate you and increase your chances of successfully quitting.  This information is available at www.mplan.com.  In the search box at upper right, type in health topics and then when the list comes up, click on Health Topics and finally click on Smoking Cessation. 

 

Prescription Coverage with M-Plan:   

To see if a specific prescription item is covered, go to www.mplan.com and click on “Member/Guest,” at top, then select “Pharmacy Program” or call (317) 571-5320 or 1-800-81-MPlan (1-800-816-7526).

 

If you are currently enrolled in an Anthem healthcare plan:
Call the 1-800 Customer Service number on the back of your member card for information about what’s covered and what services might be available to you. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Does use of the patch, gum, inhalers, nasal sprays or bupropion help?

The Center for Tobacco Cessation research into “what works” indicates that while counseling can be effective, counseling combined with pharmacological treatment (using patches, gum, inhalers, nasal sprays, prescription drugs such as bupropion, etc.) doubles or triples the effectiveness of treatment.  For pregnant women, use of pharmacological aids may NOT be advisable.  In ALL cases, talk to your doctor. 

Can I use the money I put aside in my Tax Saver Benefit (TSB) account to pay for costs related to smoking cessation aids and counseling that are not covered by insurance? 

Yes, you can use your TSB money to pay for counseling (by a licensed counselor, M.D., Ph.D., social worker), nicotine gum which is not covered by insurance or for co-pays on items that are partially covered by insurance (patches, nasal sprays, inhalers, drugs for smoking cessation, etc.).  If you have questions, call Nyhart at (317) 803-7750.

Why do some programs have a cost and some do not?  Does it mean the program with a cost is better?  Which should I choose?

Some programs are funded by grant money, so while there IS a cost, the grant is paying it, and the smoker who is participating in the program doesn’t have to.  Free programs are not necessarily less effective than those with a cost.  However, the smoker who attends a free program may say, “Well, it’s free.  It won’t matter if I miss,” and then fail to quit due to lack of commitment.  If paying will make you more committed, you may want to sign up for a program where there IS a cost, but if you can use a free program and, in gratitude to the person who IS paying for your treatment, be committed to attending, you may be able to choose a free program.  The idea is to choose a program that you can stay committed to, whether there is a cost or not.

Smoking Cessation Programs in the Community

For an excellent list of about 25 locations with available smoking cessation programs in the community, go to the Marion County Health Department Web site at http://www.mchd.com/tobcess.htm.   If some of the program dates and prices are not current, call the number listed for that program to get current dates/prices.  Some of the locations on the list are Martin University; Wishard, St. Francis and Veteran’s hospitals; many local health centers and libraries; the American Lung Association and many more.  If you don’t have access to a computer, call Lisa Smith at (317) 221-2084 for information.

More Resources 

Any Indiana resident can access the Indiana Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT NOW).    

For a list of smoking cessation programs in other Indiana counties, go to http://www.clarian.org/portal/patients/clinical?clarianContentID=/clinical/healthandwellness/CTCC/allCountiesAthruF.xml and click on your county on the map.

Smoking Cessation counseling in Spanish:  Iglesia “Vida Nueva,” 2801 W. Washington St., Indianapolis.  They offer four (one per week) sessions on Mondays at 6:30 p.m.  For information, call either Indiana Latino Institute, (317) 472-1055 or Iglesia “Vida Nueva” at (317) 638-0796. 

Request a Quit Packet at www.WhiteLies.tv (Web site in English and Spanish) or call toll-free-1-866-515-LIFE (5433). 

Telephone “quitlines” have been shown to be effective.  Call 1-800-244-9100 (run by Mississippi but open to all) to speak to a counselor Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., Mississippi time.  The National Cancer Institute has a toll-free quitline in English and Spanish.  The toll-free number is 1-877-44U-QUIT (87848) and it is available Monday-Friday, 9-4:30, local time. [The American Lung Association (1-800-586-4872) and the American Cancer Society (1-800-227-2345) also offer help but they do not have direct quitlines.] 

Go to http://www.smokefree.gov for a great Web site sponsored by various government agencies.  Reasons to quit, how to prepare to quit, managing cravings, determining your “triggers,” information about various smoking cessation aids, a publication geared just for African American smokers and more are offered at this site.  It also offers telephone counseling.

Quitnet offers a way to devise your own quit plan, forums where you can communicate with others and expert advice.  Go to www.quitnet.com and click on “Get Started Now” in box on right.  They also have information in Spanish and an online chat area where quitnet members can go “when you need help right now.”

There’s a great site especially for college students at http://www.tobaccofreeu.org/ .

The American Lung Association, whose Web site is in both English and Spanish, has an online smoking cessation program called “Freedom from Smoking” that can be accessed by going to http://www.lungusa.org/tobacco and scrolling down a bit.  The site also has great information on steps to take when you’re planning to quit.  If you would like to use printed guides or attend smoking cessation sessions, contact the local office of the American Lung Association at (317) 819-1181. 

If you want to know if a particular smoking cessation method (laser, hypnosis, etc.) is effective, call the American Lung Association at 1-800-586-4872 and press 2 to get a medical professional.

The Center for Disease Control Web site, in both English and Spanish, has Surgeon General reports, educational information and information on how to quit.  Go to http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has information on five keys to quitting and much more.  Visit http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/tobacco/quits.htm.

Arizona has a good Web site with the steps to quitting at http://www.ashline.org, but ONLY Arizona residents can use the free quitline that is listed.

Women who are pregnant and quit smoking are more likely to go full-term and give their babies more oxygen and a chance to have good lung function and normal birth weight.  After birth, smoking cessation means that you lower the baby’s chances of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and lung-related infections.  If you are looking for specific information about pregnancy and smoking, go to www.americanlegacy.org/greatstart or http://www.helppregnantsmokersquit.org .

*IMPORTANT:  It is important that you check with your doctor or a healthcare professional who is familiar with potential concerns related to nicotine replacement therapy before using any nicotine replacement products or other smoking cessation products.  This is especially important if you are pregnant, may become pregnant, are nursing, are under 18 or are taking other drugs that might cause interaction problems.  If you are considering use of a particular drug, we encourage you to do an internet search, using the name of the drug to gain access to sites, that can help you to know what the side effects of the drug and interactions with other drugs may be. 

NOTE:  We have done our best to provide you with accurate, current information, but it is possible that changes may occur over time. 

                                     

                                                          IUPUI HUMAN RESOURCES ADMINISTRATION