TULSA, Okla. — Quitting smoking or vaping can be tough—but also expensive.
This month, the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline is offering a special offer for people wanting to quit.
Oklahomans who sign up for Helpline services will receive at least eight weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy instead of the normal two weeks. This therapy includes patches, gum, or lozenges.
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2 News took an depth look at how much people are paying for these options. Here are the prices listed on the respective pharmacies’ websites:
- Two-week pack of NicoDerm patches at CVS Pharmacy: $43.99
- Two-week pack of NicoDerm patches at Walgreens: $55.99
- Two-week pack of CVS store brand patches: $40.99
- Two-week pack of Walgreens store brand patches: $39.99
The Helpline also offers free, personalized support to help people quit. That includes services like live group sessions, emails, text, phone, and coach support.
2 News spoke with Thomas Larson from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), which helps fund the helpline. He told us they've seen lots of success with these kinds of offers in the past.
“It's not something we can do all the time, but we try to do it once or twice a year,” he said, “and every time we do it, we have more and more callers calling for help in quitting tobacco, and we see a higher success rate."
"So, as we're able to do that and offer the full eight weeks of nicotine replacement therapy, it's always been a successful thing for us," Larson, the director of public information and government affairs at TSET, added. "And, you know, we're just thrilled to be able to offer more support to Oklahomans during this month.”
This special offer from the Helpline comes the same month as a study on vaping.
A recent survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the number of youth using e-cigarettes sinking to its lowest level in a decade.
The number of middle and high schoolers vaping peaked at five million in 2019. In the first half of 2024, it was 1.6 million. Since last year alone, the number has dropped by 25% nationally.
However, it's important to note that this also comes amid rising sales in nicotine pouches, something the CDC acknowledged when publishing this survey.
“We have seen a decrease nationally in the number of youth vaping,” said Larson. “But, you know, in Oklahoma the rate of youth vaping is still around 21, 22 [percent]. So, that's way too high.”
People can sign up for Helpline services in a few different ways:
- Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)
- Text “READY” to 3-4-1-9-1
- Visit OKHelpline.com
The last day to claim this special offer is Sept. 30.
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