We are open Monday to Friday from 7am to 9pm and Saturday from 9am to 5pm. After hours, you can leave a voicemail, enroll online, use our self-help tools or use our mobile app. 

You can get started with telephone coaching by filling out our online enrollment form or calling us during business hours at 1-800-300-8086.  After completing a short registration, you can begin coaching right away if a coach is available. Or you can make an appointment for another time.   

In the first phone coaching call, you will discuss your reasons for wanting to quit and your coach will help you make a quit plan based on your personal needs and proven strategies.  If you plan to use a quitting aid, like nicotine pouches, a Quit Coach can also talk to you about how to use these products and answer any questions you may have about quit aids and other health-related inquiries. You’ll also be encouraged to set a quit date. Coaches will check back with you at critical times to provide support and helpful strategies for staying quit. Not sure what to expect when you enroll or call us? Listen to these sample coaching calls to hear how we help people quit. 

Quitting smoking is a challenging process, and it’s common for people to need several attempts before they succeed. The most important thing you can do is be patient, understanding, and supportive. Nagging or pressuring them is not helpful. Instead, ask how you can assist, and listen without judgment. Educating yourself about the quitting process can make a big difference. You can also join our free program to work with a Quit Coach for additional guidance. Visit our Friends and Family page to learn more about how our team of Quit Coaches can support you in helping the tobacco user in your life. We also suggest watching the video How to Help Someone Quit Smoking, available in both English and Spanish on our YouTube channel.  

We offer coaching in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Vietnamese. Our coaches complete rigorous training to learn how to help clients quit tobacco and nicotine. Coaches also complete training to make sure they can work with clients from different backgrounds. Our coaches are always learning – they participate in continuing education to stay informed and keep their skills sharp! All coaches are supervised and receive regular feedback from supervisors to ensure they are providing high-quality services.   

Kick It California is funded by California Tobacco Prevention Program (CTPP) to provide tobacco and nicotine cessation coaching services in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean. However, if a caller speaks a language other than the ones we offer, they can state the language they need service in, over the phone. During Kick It California operating hours, the agent will try to contact a Live Interpretation Service to provide assistance. It’s worth noting that we cannot guarantee these services on a regular basis, and it also depends on our team’s capacity and the availability of the interpreter from the translation service.  

Kick It California offers tobacco and nicotine cessation services accessible for deaf and hard of hearing individuals through chat coaching, a semi-automated texting program, the Kick It: Quit Smoking | Vaping mobile app, and self-help materials. Deaf and hard of hearing individuals may also call 7-1-1 to initiate a relay call with Kick It California and communicate with a Quit Coach. 

Coaching at Kick It California is completely free! All services, including phone coaching, text*, chat, and mobile app are free for anyone in California, including people without insurance. When you complete an intake, a coach may ask you if you have insurance. This information helps us learn about our clients, but we will not send a bill to your insurance.  

Kick It California is funded by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), California Tobacco Control Program (CTPP) through Propositions 99 & 56 and by First 5 California through Proposition 10. 

* Message and data rates may apply. 

Coaching is available for people 13 years and older. This is also the minimum age required to use our other services including chat, and text coaching. There is no age minimum for self-help materials or the mobile app. 

Kick It was designed to help people who are interested in quitting today or in the near future. For this reason, the app doesn’t allow you to enter a past quit date. That doesn’t mean that people who have quit can’t use the app. People who have already quit when they download the app can enter the day they download the app as their “quit date” and use the app’s education and cravings support. we are working to address this a possible future app release.  

If you’re an adult looking to quit smoking cigarettes, call 1-800-300-8086 or enroll online to find out if you qualify for a free, 2-week kit of nicotine patches delivered to your home. Once you enroll, a coach can also talk to you about how to obtain patches through Medi-Cal. Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean-speaking clients who call the Asian Smokers’ Quitline may be eligible to receive free nicotine patches and a $20 gift card after completing the first coaching call. 

The nicotine patch comes in three dosages (21 mg, 14 mg, 7 mg).  Your starting dosage will be based on the number of cigarettes you smoke.  For example, if you smoke a pack a day you will start on the 21 mg patch and step down from there. The patch goes on your body like a band aid and helps you quit smoking by slowly releasing nicotine into your system through the lining of the skin (usually over 24 hours). You will put on a new patch each day. The patch can help reduce physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal so you can focus on the behavioral changes needed to quit smoking. Over time, you will gradually reduce the dosage (amount of nicotine in the patch) until you are nicotine free!  You can connect with a Quit Coach to discuss nicotine patches and other strategies to quit at kickitca.org/quit-now. Check out our Nicotine Patches fact sheet for more information on this type of quit aids. 

Unfortunately, at this time, KIC only offers free nicotine patches to those that meet eligibility criteria. We do not provide free nicotine gum, lozenges or any other quit smoking medication.  

It’s best if you discuss this with your doctor.  They can discuss the pros and cons of quitting with and without a quitting aid.  For more information on quitting smoking while pregnant, check this out.   

Everyone’s experience with quitting is a little different.  But here are some things you may notice: 

– Difficulty being around smokers 

– Good days and bad days 

– Withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability 

– Being able to breathe better 

– Situations that challenge your motivation to keep going 

– Cravings that are strong at first, but weaker with time 

– A growing sense of accomplishment 

Generally, no. In fact, many people stay the same and some even lose weight.  Among those who gain weight, the average is around 10 pounds.  Planning can help prevent weight gain: include lots of activity in your life (hobbies, exercise, etc.) and commit to eating healthy means and snacks. 

E-cigarettes (often called vapes) are not approved by the FDA for quitting smoking because there is not enough evidence to say whether they are effective and safe.  However, many smokers have claimed that vaping has helped them in their quit attempt.  Learn as much as you can about the pros and cons of these devices to help you decide. 

Most people try several times before quitting for good.  Think of your other attempts as “practice” for the real thing.  Then think of the things that have helped, and the things that didn’t.  Your experience actually gives you an edge.  It makes you more likely to quit for good this time.   

It’s true, quitting smoking can make you irritable.  Many people get moody when they’re making a big change like this.  But with a good plan and an active routine, you’ll be better prepared to handle bad moods.  Ask your family to be patient.   By the end of the first week or two, you should be feeling less irritable.   

Kick It California is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.  We’ll only use your personal information for internal purposes to be able to provide the products and services you requested. All your personal information remains private unless there were a clear danger to you or someone else, where we would be required by law to break confidentiality to ensure safety. Also, from time to time, we would like to contact you about our program and services, as well as other content that may be of interest to you. For more information on our privacy practices, how to unsubscribe from our communications, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy at kickitca.org/privacy. 

All services at Kick It California are confidential. Kick It California will only share your information if we are required by law to break confidentiality to ensure your safety or the safety of someone else. Also, before we send nicotine patches, we may ask to speak to your medical doctor to make sure you meet eligibility requirements. For more information on our privacy practices, how to unsubscribe from our communications, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy at  kickitca.org/privacy.