It’s one of the most difficult things you can do: stop smoking. But, a record number of Floridians are doing just that; more than 137,000 in the last few years.

According to the Florida Department of Health, the state now has more former smokers than smokers, due in part to programs like Tobacco Free Florida. The initiative provides smokers with three means for quitting: a hotline, online support and in-person groups. The program also provides nicotine patches, lozenges and information.

“Most of the people we’re seeing, it’s been decades that they’re using tobacco,” said Bethany Coz, the Tobacco Program Director for the Central Florida AHEC. “So, to make a change overnight on their own usually doesn’t work for most people.”

“I tried cold turkey, I tried using Chantix,” said Michael Bley. The healthcare advisor tried to quit smoking for the last 40 years without success. This summer, when he spied a flyer in his Altamonte Springs workplace advertising a program to help smokers quit, he told his wife he was ready. Bley said he wanted to be able to go for walks with the family dog and breathe. Finally, at his cessation support class held in a conference room of the complex, Bley quit smoking on Aug. 13.

“It was important for me to be able to face them and know I was doing what was important for my own health care,” he said.

Florida was one of the states to sue to the tobacco companies in the late 1990’s and settled for billions. Now, some of the money is used for cessation programs---helping people to quit for good.

Bley said the road to being tobacco-free has been hard, at times, but his life has improved vastly: his persistent coughed has diminished, and he’s cut down on the medications he takes for COPD. He credits his group leader, as well as the structure of the support program, for his success.

“I feel great. I’m so glad that I did it,” he said. “I feel one hundred percent better. That’s my motivation everyday”

Each, around 2,000 people go through the in-person counseling in 9 counties in Central Florida, said Coz. While the quit rate of 37 percent may seem low, smokers without any support have less than a 10 percent chance of staying off tobacco.

For more information about quitting or to find your nearest support group location, call 1-877-252-6094 or visit www.ahectobacco.com