Montgomery program designed to help smokers quit

By: Jake Uitti
   MONTGOMERY — This may be the year to give your family the gift of being smoke-free.
   The Montgomery Township Health Department has made arrangements with the Tobacco Quitcenter to help make that happen.
   The Tobacco Quitcenter — affiliated with Somerset Medical Center — will sponsor a Smoking Cessation Group Program starting Jan. 10. The group will meet at the Otto Kaufman Community Center, 356 Skillman Road, for six Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
   The support group sessions will address biological, psychological and social aspects of tobacco addiction. Participants will also discuss options for nicotine replacement medication — gum, patches or lozenges — and new FDA-approved medications to help smokers quit.
   Each participant will receive an individualized assessment, including a carbon monoxide screening, before the start of the program.
   The cost of the six-week program is $50 for Montgomery Township residents.
   To register, contact the Montgomery Township Health Department at (908) 359-8211, ext. 227.