No person or entity associated with WhyQuit.com, Joel's Library, Freedom from Tobacco or AskJoel has ever accepted any income, fees or financial donation from any source in connection with their online work. All work is volunteer and pro bono. The extremely modest annual expenses associated with operating and maintaining WhyQuit and Joel's Library are paid by Joel Spitzer and John R. Polito. There is no expense associated with Freedom from Tobacco or Ask Joel, both part of MSN Groups.

WhyQuit.com does not advertise or market any products or services. All commercial banner advertising at both "Freedom from Tobacco" and "Ask Joel" -- free MSN community forums -- is conducted exclusively by MSN. Neither Freedom nor Ask Joel have any control over the products or services advertised by MSN, nor has any person associated with Freedom or Ask Joel ever received any form of income associated with either site, from any source, including MSN.

Freedom has three current managers, Sallie Hamilton, Suzie Ryan and Joseph Savastano, and two directors, Joel Spitzer and John R. Polito. It has eight retired managers, Linda Schwartz, Joel Spitzer, Joanne Diehl, John R. Polito, Rick Bailey, Kristen Dittman, Dennis Blasch and Robin Sathaye. None of Freedom's current or former managers or current directors have ever accepted any compensation or donations for their online work.

During Linda's term as manager she was a salaried manager at a Cleveland, Ohio, pharmacy where part of her mandatory duties included the sale of NRT and tobacco products. Joanne assisted Joel in participant support follow-up associated with his Evanston Department of Health and Human Services nicotine cessation programs. At such times Joanne was compensated for her time by the Evanston Department of Health and Human Services or directly by Joel.

John has presented free, periodic community-based nicotine cessation programs since April 2001. Between 2003 and 2006 he conducted free bi-monthly nicotine cessation seminars on behalf of the College of Charleston's Counseling and Substance Abuse Services in Charleston, SC, where, from 2005 to 2006, he was compensated under a grant from The American Cancer Society. John also presents paid private seminars for which he is compensated by the employer or government agency retaining his services. During 2007 and 2008 the South Carolina Department of Corrections compensated John for presenting 63 nicotine cessation seminars to correctional officers, staff and inmates at 28 S.C. prisons.

As paid professional staff, Joel Spitzer served as Smoking Programs Coordinator for the American Cancer Society, Chicago Unit, Illinois Division from September of 1977 to November of 1978. He worked as Quit Smoking Programs Coordinator for the Rush North Shore Medical Center as paid staff from November 1978 until July 2000. Joel has served as a smoking prevention and cessation consultant to the Evanston Department of Health and Human Services from 2000 until present, and served as consultant to the Skokie Health Department from until 2002 until January 2007. He was compensated by each department and compensation was never dependent upon or in any manner tied to the number of participants in attendance, where they resided, or how they found the program.