DENVER -- If you've made a New Year's resolution to quit smoking and were counting on the help of the Colorado Quitline and the free nicotine patches, you may have to postpone your resolution for about a week.

Quitline counselors have been deluged with phone calls and they're asking smokers to be patient.

Colorado Quitline has been in operation for two years and in that time period, they've logged 10,000 calls.

They just started offering free nicotine patches two weeks ago and in that that two-week period they've received 9,000 calls.

It's been so busy that counselors are asking smokers to refrain from calling for a week or two so they can catch up on the backlog.

"From morning to night, it's just been nonstop," said counselor Michael Mendez.

The number of calls has exceeded expectations.

"So people are getting a busy signal. But we're asking people to be patient. We're not going to run out of patches. It's an ongoing program that will be available a week from now, a month from now, a year from now," said Karen Deleeuw, with the Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership.

The nicotine replacement therapy program is funded by the state cigarette tax increase. It provides free nicotine patches to smokers who are willing to undergo counseling over the phone. So far, 9,000 people have called in.

"That says that people are really ready now to make a quit attempt and that they understand the value of having nicotine patches to help them do it," said program manager Epi Mazzei.

Quitline coordinators have hired more counselors and have added more phones. They are making a dent in the backlog.

"There have been a lot of messages left, voicemail. And we're getting back to people as quickly as we can. We're definitely happy to help them," said Mendez.

To contact the Colorado Quitline call (800) 639-QUIT or (800) 639-7848.

If that number is busy, try (303) 692-2574 or (303) 692-2510. The service also is available for the deaf and hard-of-hearing at TTY: 800-659-2656. To learn more about the program, click here.