Need help butting out? Then phone Ken Nerbus.

Nerbus, 71, has quit smoking — twice — and believes the key to successfully kicking the habit is the company of others who are doing the same, he said Tuesday.

That’s why he’s started the Stop Smoking Support Group, which meets every Thursday at St. Andrews on the Square from 7 to 8 p.m. beginning March 4.

“You have to have the contact. If you are taking a drug and (quitting) on your own, it just doesn’t work,” said Nerbus.

Nerbus has been sober for 35 years thanks to the support he’s received from Alcoholics Anonymous. He’s borrowed some concepts from AA, including rewarding members for time spent free of the habit: a green ribbon for one week, blue ribbon for two and so on.

Meetings will give members a chance to talk about their progress and give support to others. Nerbus said he will invite guest speakers to come and talk to the group.

“It’s all about keeping in contact and supporting each other,” he said. Members will have buddies they can phone whenever the urge to smoke becomes too great.

If all goes well, he will expand the meetings to include weekend breakfasts and walks. He said a big part of beating an addiction is staying active.

Nerbus offers no silver bullets to kill the habit, but if people attend the meetings and are committed to quitting, they will have a fighting chance.

“I certainly believe in support groups,” he said.

For more information phone Nerbus at 250-579-8574.