Blow on This! IntelliQuit, World's First Stop Smoking Biosensor and Platform Launches a Crowdfunding Campaign with Kickstarter

NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- IntelliQuit, the world's first personal pocket size biosensor and ecosystem that biochemically measures tobacco consumption and severity of nicotine addiction, is now available online via Kickstarter.  Similar to a weight scale and calorie counter for dieters, IntelliQuit provides the smoker with actionable information to support positive behavior change.  IntelliQuit allows the smoker to quantify their smoking biochemically with a simple expired breath and offers a fuller understanding of tobacco consumption and addiction.  Simply counting cigarettes is not enough.  The long recognized phenomena of "compensatory smoking" means the nicotine consumed from every cigarette for every smoker can vary tremendously¹.  For example, taking more puffs per cigarettes, inhaling deeper and faster, and holding smoke in the lungs longer can double or triple nicotine consumption. Empowering the smoker with this knowledge can engage more smokers and increase quit rates.

While an average of more than 65,000 Americans attempt to quit smoking each day, less than 6% are successful without assistance. "Our crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter will provide the momentum to produce a superior product to empower America's 46 million smokers," said Matthew Bars, MS, CTTS, IntelliQuit's CEO. 

"Not only have we produced a product and experience that works, it's also fun.  After completion of the campaign, supporters can receive rewards that include our 'Crushin' Cigarettes and 'Smoke the Zombies' mobile games.  University studies have shown our Crushin' Cigarettes game reduces smoking and increases quit rates 300 percent by increasing motivation and learning² ," Mr. Bars continued.

Beyond the IntelliQuit platform and mobile games, IntelliQuit is offering crowdfunding supporters interesting and totally cool rewards featuring the IntelliQuit 'Blow on This' slogan and kissable red lips on mugs, T-shirts, workout pants, and smartphone covers.  One unique offering is SDK access allowing game developers to design their own games using our mobile app code and smokers' biochemical and behavioral data.  Highlighting IntelliQuit's expired breath functionality, our 'Blow on This' workout pants also features our lipstick red lips and is available for $69.  While perhaps provocative, the tobacco industry has long used sexuality to sell tobacco and addiction.  Health is cooler than illness and freedom is cooler than addiction.  Images of our rewards are available at www.MyLungTest.com/kickstarter.html.  The crowdfunding campaign is directly accessible at
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/270050630/intelliquit-worlds-1st-smoking-biosensor-and-mobil.

Mr. Bars and Victor Marchione, MD, FCCP Chief Medical Officer of the Company have been treating smokers for a combined six decades.  Mr. Bars is also the Director of the Tobacco Treatment Program of the New York City Fire Department and is a board certified tobacco treatment specialist.  Since September 11, 2001 smoking prevalence has been reduced over 70 percent in the New York City Fire Department³.  Dr. Marchione is board certified in both pulmonary and internal medicine. "We have taken the lessons learned at FDNY and working with smokers over the last 3 decades in helping tens of thousands quit and leveraged this knowledge with the power of mobile health and smart phone technology.  We are not alone in believing that IntelliQuit will be a game changer in helping the 46 million American smokers and the world's more than one billion smokers.  Smokers are literally dying to quit - IntelliQuit can help," Dr. Marchione concluded.  Both Victor and Matt are also IntelliQuit co-founders.  In March, IntelliQuit won first place at the TechCrunch NYC Pitch-Off.

Dr. Marchione's oldest son Frankie Grande just competed successfully on the CBS reality show "Big Brother," is a YouTube personality and has over 1 million followers on Twitter.  His sister is the recording star Ariana Grande.  Frank will be tweeting about IntelliQuit during the Kickstarter campaign and producing a YouTube video.  For further information about IntelliQuit please visit: www.MyLungTest.com

¹Benowitz NL, Kuyt F, Jacob P III, Kozlowski LT, Yu L. Influence of smoking fewer cigarettes on exposure to tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide. New England Journal of Medicine 1986; 315:1310-3

²Girard B, Turcotte V, Bouchard S, et al. Crushing virtual cigarettes reduces tobacco addiction and treatment discontinuation. CyberPsychology & Behavior. 2009 Oct; 12 (5): 477-83. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2009.

³Aldrich TK, Gustave J, Hall CB, et al. Lung Function in Rescue Workers at the World Trade Center after 7 Years. New England Journal of Medicine 2010; 362:1263 1272 http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0910087

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SOURCE IntelliQuit