Quitting for good: Patient celebrates tobacco-free wins through the free EX Program

Silas Smith, IU Health patient, started using smokeless (dip) tobacco in 2006 while in the Marine Corps. It developed into a habit he was eager to kick for good in 2025. He’s celebrating a tobacco-free lifestyle since April 12 thanks to his success with the EX Program, a free digital nicotine cessation program for IU Health patients.

“I had tried multiple times before to quit my smokeless tobacco habit but always ended up caving and picking it up again,” says Smith. “There were periods of time—a week here, a month there—where I would abstain, but I never made it a permanent quit. The EX Program gave me the resources I needed to finally kick the habit.”

Smith stayed motivated reading articles tailored to his quit journey and completing daily check-ins on the app. He found the live chats with his certified tobacco treatment specialist (TTS) helpful for guidance on using the free nicotine replacement products he received and appreciated the general encouragement. His TTS assured him that, while the process to quit can be hard, it would get better in time.

“That increased my confidence big time. In the past, I thought that my failed attempts at quitting meant I was just someone who wouldn’t be able to,” says Smith. “Learning that quitting takes practice made me laugh, but turns out, it’s 100% true.”

Members of the EX Community, the largest and longest-running online cessation community, cheered Smith on when he reached his two-week and 90-day tobacco-free milestones. As he saw continued success, he was able to pay it forward. For example, he didn’t need to finish his second free shipment of nicotine replacement therapy and gave it to a friend in need instead. Smith encourages tobacco users who are curious about quitting to “just start.”

“Put it on your radar, jump in and be persistent. Expect that you’ll not succeed the first time, but just pick up right where you left off,” says Smith. “You might be an anomaly and succeed, but if not, you’re in good company. The more tools you can put in your toolbox to complete the job, the easier it gets.”

Learn more

For more information about the free EX Program offered through IU Health, reach out to Deanna Prine (dprine@iuhealth.org), health impact consultant and IU Health’s EX Program manager.