Howard County is expanding its 1-year-old smoking-cessation program for government workers - offering the free help to anyone who lives or works in the county, making it the most comprehensive anti-smoking effort in Maryland.

The 10-week to 12-week "Cadillac" model program features virtually every possible medical, emotional and financial aid to participants and has achieved a 40 percent quit rate after six months, said Shanta Williams, director of tobacco control for the county Health Department. County employees are allowed to attend weekly meetings and health screenings during working hours.

The program, financed with $137,000 of state tobacco lawsuit settlement money, has enrolled 43 county workers this year - compared with 50 participants at this time last year, Williams said. The decline in participants, despite offering the course to more government agencies, is one reason for now offering the help to anyone in the county, she said.

"The word's just getting out," Williams said, adding that if enough people respond, the program - which offers nicotine replacement patches in three strengths, Zyban medication, counseling, telephone support from peers, weekly meetings during working hours and a barrage of health tests - can be expanded.

The medicines alone are valued at more than $288 a person, Williams said. She said the county also hopes to start a Nick-Anon chapter to offer more support to the roughly 74 percent of program participants who typically quit while attending sessions. Overall, 179 people have taken the course since it began in September last year.

Despite expanding the program to include county library and Howard Community College staff members, public school employees, and the staff and parents of children in Head Start, only a handful of people attended from those groups.

"We had a great beginning," said Dr. Cynthia Lipsitz, director of clinical services, but "then in each successive group of classes, there were less and less" people. The first class, she speculated, might have attracted the smokers most determined to quit, leaving a smaller pool of recruits despite word of mouth about the program's quality.

Elsie Baker, health services officer for county schools, said she included notices about the program in school system workers' paychecks in September, but taking the time to participate in the course can be difficult.

Chris Fritz, 29, a math teacher at Atholton High School, took the challenge. Because the weekly meetings are at 4 p.m., he can go after school.

A smoker since age 15, he was up to a pack a day. He tried to quit once, he said, but failed.

"I'd been thinking about it," Fritz said. "Why not at least try it?"

He said he has not smoked in six weeks and is hopeful that the trend will last. "I'm really feeling good," he said.

Fritz and Sharon Heckler, a Howard Community College human resources worker, speculated that fewer school and college workers smoke, which would explain the low response.

Cynthia Costley, 43, was one of three library employees to sign up. It was convenient for her because the weekly meetings are held in the central library in Columbia's Town Center.

"I have been smoking since I was 16 years old," said Costley, a circulation worker who was smoking a pack a day. "I haven't had a cigarette since Dec. 1. It really worked."

Costley said she had tried before to smoke less, but without success. She has good reasons for wanting to stop.

"It always seemed like I was short of breath," she said. "I have allergies and sinus problems. I want to be around for my grandchildren."

Fire Department Battalion Chief Sean Kelly, 47, took the course last year and counts himself as one who has quit smoking - even though he will light up occasionally.

"I backslide every once in a while," he said, while insisting, "I've actually gotten to where I want to be."

The county program did the trick, he said, removing his psychological need to smoke. "If I think it's out of control, I just throw it away."

Glenn Schneider, legislative chairman of Smoke Free Howard County, said the idea of quitting smoking is often appealing - "for folks who are ready to quit." But with the extra demands put on public employees because of budget cuts, less time is available to fit even free classes into a jammed schedule, Schneider said.

Two more sessions will be offered next year, Williams said.

To participate in the program: 410-313-7676.