Quit Smoking in Colorado - Without Spending a Dime

I started smoking when I was 16. The standard reasons - my friends and boyfriend smoked, and while they never outright "pressured" me, the sensation was still there. That first drag of a cigarette, the sort of nicotine rush, and I wanted to feel that feeling again. And again.

Here I am, 11 years later, and finally I've started to quit smoking. I say started, even though I have as of today not smoked a single cigarette in 3 weeks, because I still have moments of total overwhelming desire for nothing more than a single drag. Just one. It's not nice, but the point is that I'm getting there - and along the way have learned a few things.

First of all, if you live in Colorado, did you know that you can quit smoking for free? Seriously - at the tobacco company's expense, you can get your smoking patches or gums and not have to pay for any of it, as long as you're making a sincere effort to quit. From the Colorado Quitline to several serious helpful hints, here's what you need to know to quit smoking.

Step One: Colorado Quitline

I find it sincerely amusing how ironic life can be. No sooner had I decided that I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, the nasty taste in my mouth, and that ever-lingering ghost of cigarette smoke clinging to my clothes and hair, than my grandmother arrived unannounced. She was very polite and very cautious, but once she discovered I actually wanted to quit smoking she presented me with a paper that was nothing short of a miracle.

The Colorado Quitline is a free telephone service that helps callers quit smoking and using tobacco. They offer free nicotine patches or gum to legal-age adults who enroll in their tobacco cessation program - one of the perks of which involves trained counselors who will guide you through the quitting process. The Quitline is available to Colorado residents in both English and Spanish, seven days a week at 800-639-7848 or, for the hearing-impaired, TTY 800-659-2656.