Helping Our Employees to Stop Smoking

Thinking of quitting smoking? As a Carilion employee, you have access to two programs through Your Carilion Rewards to help you quit using tobacco and nicotine products.

Quit for Life Program

The Free and Clear Quit for Life program helps our employees and their families quit using tobacco and nicotine products at no cost.

You, your spouse and adult dependent children can join the program whenever you like, and your participation will remain confidential.

The program includes:

• One-on-one phone sessions, scheduled at your convenience.
• Unlimited toll-free phone access to quit coaches while you participate in the program
• Recommendations for medications like the nicotine patch, gum or bupropion
• Delivery of recommended nicotine replacement products such as patches, gum or lozenges
• A “Quit Kit” of materials to help you stay on track between calls

To enroll in the Free and Clear Quit for Life program, call 866-QUIT-4-LIFE (866-784-8454) or go to quitnow.net and select Carilion, your Aetna health plan and state in the boxes on the landing page. You'll be directed to the Carilion enrollment page to enroll.

Pharmacy Tobacco Cessation Program

If you participate in Carilion’s medical plan, you and your dependents are also eligible for our pharmacy tobacco cessation program. You’ll have four one-hour virtual classes with our pharmacists to guide you from the “planning to quit” phase to “quit day.” At the end of the program, they will follow up with you by phone to provide support.

Over 500 people have been referred to our program with successful quit rates of about 1 in 5. Additional resources may be recommended to help you reach your goal, such as fitness and dietary advice.

For more information, please contact your primary care provider or email pharmacy@carilionclinic.org.

Daily Commitment

With more than 34 million Americans still smoking cigarettes, it remains the largest preventable cause of deaths and illness in the world, according to the American Cancer Association.

Be gentle with yourself throughout this journey. Transitioning from a smoker to a non-smoker is a gradual process and a daily commitment to yourself.

Remember the long-term benefits: you’ll likely feel much better, regain the ability to enjoy activities you once loved, properly taste and smell food again, protect the health of your loved ones, and probably save some money. Seek support from friends, family, and health care providers — let them know about your decision and how they can assist you.