Jacksonville Division Supervisor of Electrical Construction Brad Leatherwood dropped his 20-year habit.

Brad started smoking at a young age, and before he knew it, he was smoking one pack a day. But when the Tobacco Cessation Program was brought to his attention after he was hired, he knew he wanted to sign up once he could enroll in the Publix BCBS PPO Plan.

“Quitting was something I’d been interested in for a while, so I decided to take advantage of the program,” said Brad.

The program provides Chantix for a $12 copay with no deductible at a Publix Pharmacy, so Brad talked to his doctor and got a prescription. He took it for about three months, but he noticed he wasn’t as interested in smoking after a week. He only had two or three more cigarettes during the course of his treatment.

“It got to where smoking was just nasty,” he said. “It was like I’d never smoked before. The desire just kind of went away, and now I can’t stand the smell of cigarettes.”

Brad’s job keeps him on the road a lot — about 5,000 miles per month. He’s based out of Pensacola, Florida, but he travels to construction sites from Mobile, Alabama, to Jacksonville, Florida. Even before working for Publix, smoking before or after driving was part of his normal routine. Now, he chews a lot of gum or snacks on sunflower seeds.

“I started doing that so I wouldn’t slip back,” he said. “But thinking about smoking is no longer a daily thing. I can’t remember the last time I thought about wanting a cigarette.”

Brad has been smoke-free for over a year now, and he encourages others to try the Tobacco Cessation Program.

“At least give it a shot, especially if you’ve tried before,” he said. “I tried so many times, and I thought I’d never be able to quit. But it worked.”