Ex-smokers say it’s tough to quit. But, a free training program this week will help volunteers learn how to help smokers kick the habit.

The Muskogee Turning Point Coalition is encouraging business, churches, civic organizations and schools to send representatives to the Freedom From Smoking Facilitator Training Thursday and Friday. This training will prepare participants to lead stop-smoking groups in their work, church or community setting.

Potential facilitators must be tobacco free for a minimum of six months and willing to help others break their addiction to tobacco in a supportive manner.

Rosemari Bookout, a nurse case manager at the Pavilion Counseling and Referral Center, said she was very motivated to take the training.

“I’m a former smoker,” she said. “I felt like I could contribute to helping people quit, because I could understand. We’ve had three classes at Muskogee Regional Medical Center where I have either facilitated or co-facilitated. I have had people ask me on the first day of class if I had ever smoked, because they didn’t want someone who had never smoked telling them it was easy.”

Megan Shea, cessation systems coordinator at the Muskogee County Health Department, said the training was developed by the American Lung Association.

“It will help them teach smokers how to make lifestyle changes,” she said. “It will also explain the learning cycle for adults. It will show them how to explain the triggers for tobacco use. And it will teach them how to help with medication decisions if the smoker chooses to use some type of medication as part of their cessation effort.”

Shea said the free in-depth training takes a day and a half on Thursday and Friday at the Muskogee County Health Department.

“We’ll also talk about the tobacco companies’ role and how they want to keep people addicted through the spit tobacco products and how to deal with that,” she said.

Shea said feedback from previous classes has been very good.

“I’ve really heard a lot of positive things,” she said. “We’ve had people come back six months later and tell us they have been able to quit.”

For information or to enroll, call Shea at 683-0321.