The wish to stop smoking is a big one.

To help smokers stop, Porter Hospital is offering a comprehensive program designed to help people become tobacco-free and is offered to DU students at a low cost through the Student Health and Counseling Center.

The program starts with a series of free classes, known as “Getting Ready to Stop Smoking Classes.” These serve as the basis of the entire program.

In these classes, the instructors give the class a range of choices for getting over physical nicotine dependency.

For example, they present such choices as patches, hypnotherapy and acupuncture. This acquaints smokers with a variety of options.

At this point no commitment from the smokers is needed yet, as the sessions are simply for information. There is even a smoking break halfway through the class.The first information session was Jan. 12, but it is not too late to join. Attending the information sessions usually enhances the success of the stop-smoking clinic.The clinic lasts four weeks and has six sessions. This year, the first clinic begins in February and a second one starts in the spring.

One of the many pros of this clinic is that it is appropriate for all tobacco users: cigarette smokers, tobacco chewers and pipe smokers.

The clinic has proven to be extremely successful with a success rate, of 40 to 50 percent of those attending quitting.

According to the Colorado Quit Line, only three percent of those who attempt to quit on their own succeed.

To prevent those who have quit from resuming tobacco use, there are monthly support meetings for one year after the classes end. In addition, phone and/or e-mail consultations are available.

Because Porter Hospital works closely with the University of Denver Student Health Center, there is a special discount for students.

Normally, the class costs $150. DU students, however, pay only $60.

For more information, call Mary Bearman, a Porter Hospital representative at 303-778-5890.