It's not going to be easy, but I don't feel like I'm addicted yet. Nationwide, only a handful of schools distribute patches. For about three years, the Multnomah County Health Department in Oregon has provided patches and gum to a handful of students in its school-based health clinics. Although several counties have inquired about Multnomah's teen-smoking program, Multnomah officials don't know of another that has adopted nicotine replacement. Experts agree that teens using the patch will need special monitoring.
Users can become seriously ill, for example, if they smoke while wearing a patch.
In Oregon, all students working with schools to quit smoking, even those not using patches, must check in daily at their high school clinic. Each visit is a chance for staff to provide advice and support, if only for a few minutes. In Illinois, under a draft contract, students would be required to work with health professionals at a minimum of two monthly committee meetings. That sort of support is just as important as the patch, experts say. Scheck, the Hoffman Estates teen, said classmates find it tough to quit in an environment where all their friends smoke.