Swampscott man hopeful state program will help him kick habit

Swampscott resident Jim Samms is determined to quit smoking forever – with a little help from the state.Samms shared his personal experiences about trying to kick the habit during a Nov. 18 address to an audience at the State House. The presentation was part of a ceremony to celebrate this year’s tobacco policy reform. It also marked the day that the state Department of Health released new information that shows dramatic positive effects among those who quit smoking.In 2006, the state Legislature enacted a law that provides smoking cessation benefits to all MassHealth subscribers, said Joyce Redford, director of the Lynn-based North Shore Tobacco Control Program.”The Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program (MTCP) and MassHealth worked together to design a barrier-free benefit,” Redford said. “Preliminary findings show a dramatic drop in acute health factors within one year. In addition, within 2.5 years of the benefit’s implementation, the groups smoking rates fell by 26 percent, which is a figure unprecedented in the nation.”According to Samms, he has been a smoker for many years and made many failed attempts to quit, but the most recent efforts that rely on the state policy change appear more promising.”What is different about this quit attempt is that in addition to a strong desire to quit, Jim is using both the nicotine patch and the Massachusetts Quitline, 1-800-Try-to-Stop,” said Redford. “The good news is that by using both counseling and medication, Jim triples his chances of staying quit.”Samms agreed. “It made a big difference when Susan, one of the counselors from the Quitline, said she would call to check in and she actually did,” he said.State Sen. Thomas McGee and state Rep. Lori Ehrlich were on hand for the MTCP forum when the information was released. They congratulated Samms on having quit and offered encouragement in his continued efforts.Samms noted that he previously was paying for his own nicotine patches. “This is a benefit that should be available to everyone trying to quit, especially if it is going to save lives,” he said.