Many New Jerseyans made New Year's Resolutions this year to quit smoking. More than a month into the new year, some are struggling to keep from picking up a cigarette, which is why the American Cancer Society is offering a new text messaging tool to help.

QuitBuddy to help smokers stop smoking
loading...

It's called QuitBuddy.

"Whenever you feel the need to light up, you can text QUIT or BUDDY to 22723," said Russ Sciandra, Advocacy Director for the American Cancer Society. "If you text QUIT, you'll start receiving helpful quit tips every day or two which provide facts about the dangers of smoking. If you text BUDDY, you'll get funny, motivational messages of support."

"The BUDDY feature is designed for those who are in a crisis situation and need an instant message to keep them from picking up a cigarette," said Sciandra. "For example, it'll send a message that tells the person to get carrot sticks or do ten jumping jacks. It's designed to keep him or her busy doing something else instead of smoking."

"It's very important to remember, QuitBuddy is just one more tool to help. It is not a magic button. Anyone who is attempting to quit needs a comprehensive plan," said Sciandra. "There are also support groups available to help as well."

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM