AIKEN --- Smokers in Aiken County looking to kick the habit but needing an extra push will now have access to a free program.

The Aiken Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Services held a training session Thursday morning for the American Cancer Society's Freshstart -- a four-session program designed to help people stop smoking.

"There wasn't a smoking-cessation program free of charge in Aiken County," said Michael Brazier, of the American Cancer Society. "We felt there needed to be one in this area to help people stop smoking."

Alphia Dunbar, of the Aiken Center, said they teamed up with the cancer society to invite people from other agencies and businesses to become facilitators in the hopes of starting smoking cessation programs across the area.

The Freshstart program provides information and strategies to help quit smoking.

The nearly two-hour facilitator training class had 14 participants. A few were former smokers.

Kim Martin said she smoked for 10 years, then quit for 15 years, then started back for seven years and finally quit for good.

She referred to smoking as "committing suicide slowly," and said someone who wants to quit has to have the desire to do so.

The participants learned that their role as facilitators was to motivate and to instill confidence.

Dave Putnam said quitting smoking was the hardest thing he had ever done.

"You can't approach it with a lackadaisical attitude," he said. "Most smokers start when they're teenagers."