Smoking – Quit Services for Diverse Communities in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Smoking remains a major cause of preventable illness and death in the United States, including here in Grand Rapids and across West Michigan. Tobacco use increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, COPD, and many other serious conditions that affect individuals and families in Kent County.

Quitting smoking is one of the best decisions you can make for your health and the health of your family—and you don’t have to do it alone. Grand Rapids offers several quit-smoking services, including support for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

How Smoking Affects Families in Grand Rapids

Smoking doesn’t just harm the person who smokes. Secondhand smoke can seriously affect:

  • Children, increasing the risk of asthma, respiratory infections, ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
  • Pregnant women and their babies, increasing the risk of low birth weight and complications
  • Older adults and people with chronic conditions, especially during Grand Rapids’ cold winter months when people spend more time indoors

In a city like Grand Rapids—where winter can keep families inside for long periods—tobacco smoke in the home or car can be especially dangerous.

Quitting smoking:

  • Lowers your risk of heart attack and stroke
  • Improves breathing and lung function
  • Protects children and family members from secondhand smoke
  • Saves money for your household
  • Helps you stay active year-round, including during Michigan’s long winters

Quit-Smoking Support in Grand Rapids, MI

Local Healthcare Systems That Can Help

Several major healthcare providers in Grand Rapids offer smoking cessation support:

  • Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health) – Primary care clinics, cardiology, pulmonology, and cancer centers often provide quit-smoking programs, medications, and counseling.
  • Trinity Health Grand Rapids – Offers tobacco treatment support through primary care, women’s health, and specialty clinics.
  • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health – Provides smoking cessation counseling and prescription options.
  • Mercy Health (now part of Trinity Health) – Offers support through family medicine and community health programs.

You can ask your primary care provider at any of these systems for:

  • A personalized quit plan
  • Prescription or over-the-counter quit-smoking medications
  • Referrals to counseling or group programs
  • Follow-up support to help you stay smoke-free

Quit Services for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities

Grand Rapids is home to many cultural communities, including Spanish-speaking, African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and refugee populations. If English is not your first language, you can still get high-quality, respectful quit-smoking support.

Multilingual Support Through Healthcare Providers

Many doctors, nurses, and other health professionals in Grand Rapids:

  • Speak multiple languages
  • Work closely with medical interpreters
  • Understand cultural beliefs and practices around smoking, shisha, and tobacco use

They can:

  • Explain the health risks of smoking in a way that respects your culture and beliefs
  • Help you find translated materials about quitting smoking
  • Connect you with local and national quit services that offer interpreter support

If you prefer to speak in your own language, you can request an interpreter when you:

  • Make an appointment with your doctor
  • Visit a clinic or hospital
  • Ask about quit-smoking programs

Telephone Interpreter Services for Quit Support

If you call a quit-smoking helpline or talk with a healthcare provider in Grand Rapids, you can usually ask for an interpreter at no cost to you.

You can:

  • Call your clinic, hospital, or community health center and ask for an interpreter in your language
  • Ask your doctor or nurse to refer you to a quitline and note that you need an interpreter
  • Request that health information about quitting smoking be provided in your preferred language when possible

Interpreters can help you:

  • Understand your quit options
  • Talk about your smoking history and triggers
  • Learn how to use medications correctly
  • Get emotional support in your own language

Multilingual Quit-Smoking Information

Many health organizations provide written and online information about smoking, shisha, and quitting smoking in multiple languages. While availability can change, common languages include:

  • Arabic
  • Bengali
  • Burmese
  • Cantonese
  • Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
  • Dari
  • French
  • Greek
  • Hindi
  • Indonesian
  • Italian
  • Karen
  • Khmer
  • Korean
  • Macedonian
  • Mandarin
  • Maori
  • Nepalese
  • Pashto
  • Punjabi
  • Samoan
  • Sinhalese
  • Somali
  • Spanish
  • Tamil
  • Thai
  • Tongan
  • Turkish
  • Urdu
  • Vietnamese

Not every page or brochure is available in every language, so available translations will vary. Your Grand Rapids healthcare provider or local public health agency can help you find the most current materials.

Local Public Health Resources in Grand Rapids

Kent County Health Department

The Kent County Health Department and Grand Rapids Public Health provide resources on tobacco use, secondhand smoke, and quitting options. They can help:

  • Connect you to quit-smoking classes or support groups
  • Provide information about smoke-free housing and workplaces
  • Offer materials tailored to diverse communities in Grand Rapids

Check the Kent County Health Department website or call their main number to ask about:

  • Tobacco cessation programs
  • Youth tobacco prevention
  • Community education events

Why Quitting Matters in Michigan’s Climate

Michigan’s cold winters and fluctuating weather can worsen breathing problems for people who smoke. Smoking can make it harder to:

  • Breathe in cold, dry air
  • Fight off winter colds, flu, and respiratory infections
  • Stay active outdoors during the winter months

Quitting smoking can:

  • Improve your lung function, making winter breathing easier
  • Strengthen your immune system
  • Reduce your risk of hospitalization for pneumonia, bronchitis, and COPD flare-ups—especially important in a city like Grand Rapids with high seasonal illness rates

Where to Get Help to Quit Smoking in Grand Rapids

You can start your quit journey with any of the following:

1. Your Primary Care Provider (GP/Doctor)

  • Available through Corewell Health (Spectrum Health), Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, and other local clinics
  • Can prescribe quit-smoking medications (such as nicotine replacement, bupropion, or varenicline)
  • Can refer you to counseling, group programs, or behavioral health services

2. Pharmacists

Many Grand Rapids pharmacies can:

  • Recommend over-the-counter nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges
  • Explain how to use products correctly
  • Suggest ways to manage cravings and side effects

3. Community Health Services and Clinics

Community health centers and nonprofit organizations in the Grand Rapids area often provide:

  • Free or low-cost quit-smoking counseling
  • Group classes or support groups
  • Culturally informed support for immigrant and refugee communities
  • Interpreter services for non-English speakers

4. Quitlines and Online Support

While specific phone numbers and services may change, most quitlines:

  • Offer free counseling and support
  • Provide interpreter services in many languages
  • May offer text messaging, apps, or online chat support
  • Can mail educational materials or sometimes nicotine replacement products (depending on program rules)

Ask your doctor, clinic, or the Kent County Health Department which Michigan quitline is currently recommended, and whether it offers:

  • Language support for your community
  • Special programs for pregnant women, teens, or people with chronic health conditions

Special Support for Pregnant Women and Families

Smoking during pregnancy or around babies and young children is especially risky. In Grand Rapids, you can ask for:

  • “Quit for baby” or pregnancy-focused quit programs through local hospitals and OB/GYN clinics
  • Fact sheets and materials designed for expectant mothers and new parents
  • Support from nurses, midwives, and community health workers who understand your cultural background

These programs can help you:

  • Protect your baby from tobacco and shisha smoke
  • Reduce the risk of pregnancy complications
  • Create a smoke-free home and car

Taking the First Step in Grand Rapids

Quitting smoking can be challenging, but you do not have to do it alone. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, you can:

  • Talk with your doctor at Corewell Health (Spectrum Health), Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health, or other local clinics
  • Ask for an interpreter if you prefer to speak in your own language
  • Contact the Kent County Health Department for local quit resources and support
  • Use multilingual materials and interpreter services to get information you truly understand

Every smoke-free day improves your health and protects your family. Whether you’ve lived in Grand Rapids your whole life or recently arrived from another country, there are quit-smoking services here designed to support you and your community.