DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Public Health is expanding its free nicotine replacement program in hopes of helping more residents quit smoking or chewing tobacco. The agency announced Friday that beginning Wednesday, people who enroll in the Quitline Iowa program will be eligible for eight weeks of nicotine replacement therapy. That’s double the four weeks of therapy that was available.

Agency director Mariannette Miller-Meeks says the longer people have access to nicotine replacement patches, lozenges or gum, the better their chance of quitting use of tobacco. To enroll in the program, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or go online to www.quitnow.net/iowa.