Monroe County Executive Jack Doyle has launched a major new initiative to reduce youth smoking by encouraging the 35 percent of the county's teenagers who smoke to quit.

The project, known by its Web site address "GottaQuit.com," is among the first in the nation to utilize Internet Instant Messaging technology to connect youth smokers to young adults who have smoked and quit.

"Our research shows us that teenagers who smoke want to quit, but they don't know how to get help," said Doyle.

A variety of media, including television, radio, billboards, bus cards and direct mail, are designed to drive traffic to the Web site, where teens will be educated about tobacco use, entertained and allowed to compete for free merchandise.

A key element of the site is a section call "Talk to Us. Live." where teens will be able to connect with a trained quit coach with just two clicks of the mouse. The quit coaches will be housed at the University of Rochester Medical Center and staffed by the Smoking Research Program. The web site features "Human Click" software which allows teenagers the ability to Instant Message a counselor during hours when kids are most likely to be tempted to have a cigarette. The user can build rapport with counselors by returning to talk with the same person.

The GottaQuit.com "Talk To Us. Live" coaching center will operate Monday through Friday, 3 to 10 p.m. Weekend hours will be added once demand is established. There is no fee for Monroe County residents, however they must be between the ages of 14 and 18 years of age to receive assistance.

More than 3,400 teenagers in the United States begin smoking each day. Formative research conducted for the county by the University of Rochester Cancer Center and Children's Hospital at Strong revealed that kids want their smoking addiction to be taken seriously. GottaQuit.com is funded through a portion of the Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement.