Tob Control 2000;9(Suppl II):ii48-i55 ( Summer )

A centralised telephone service for tobacco cessation: the California experience

Shu-Hong Zhu^a, Christopher M Anderson^a, Cynthia E Johnson^a, Gary Tedeschi^a, April Roeseler^b

^a University of California, San Diego, California, USA, ^b California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section, Sacramento, California, USA

Correspondence to: Dr Shu-Hong Zhu, University of California, San Diego, Mail Code 0905, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0905, USA; email: szhu{at}ucsd.edu

OBJECTIVETo provide an overview of the California Smokers' Helpline, an increasingly popular telephone program for tobacco cessation in California since 1992. As many states, regions, and nations are contemplating various telephone programs as part of large scale anti-tobacco campaigns, this paper presents a practical model.
DESIGNThe Helpline provides Californians with free cessation services that include counselling, self help quit kits, and cessation related information. Services are provided in six spoken languages plus a line for the hearing impaired. The program is promoted statewide by media campaigns, health care providers, local tobacco control programs, and the public school system.
SETTINGThe Helpline is centrally operated through the University of California, San Diego and provides services statewide via telephone.
RESULTSThe Helpline has served over 100 000 tobacco users and has become the chief cessation resource for the Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program in California. Media was the most important referral source for Helpline callers (50%), followed by health care providers (20%). About one third of the callers were ethnic minorities and 17% were 24 years old or younger. Compared to California smokers in general, the callers were more dependent on nicotine and more likely to live with other smokers, but they were also more likely to have tried to quit recently and were more ready to try again. Two randomised trials have demonstrated the efficacy of the Helpline's counselling protocol.
CONCLUSIONA centralised helpline operation can be an accessible and effective service for tobacco users and should be included in any large scale, comprehensive tobacco control program.


Keywords: telephone helpline; tobacco cessation program

---

© 2000 by Tobacco Control
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Mosbaek, C. H, Austin, D. F, Stark, M. J, Lambert, L. C (2007). The association between advertising and calls to a tobacco quitline. Tobacco Control 16: i24-i29 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Swartz Woods, S., Haskins, A. E (2007). Increasing reach of quitline services in a US state with comprehensive tobacco treatment. Tobacco Control 16: i33-i36 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hollis, J. F, McAfee, T. A, Fellows, J. L, Zbikowski, S. M, Stark, M., Riedlinger, K. (2007). The effectiveness and cost effectiveness of telephone counselling and the nicotine patch in a state tobacco quitline. Tobacco Control 16: i53-i59 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Maher, J. E, Rohde, K., Dent, C. W, Stark, M. J, Pizacani, B., Boysun, M. J, Dilley, J. A, Yepassis-Zembrou, P. L (2007). Is a statewide tobacco quitline an appropriate service for specific populations?. Tobacco Control 16: i65-i70 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Anderson, C M, Zhu, S-H (2007). Tobacco quitlines: looking back and looking ahead. Tobacco Control 16: i81-i86 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Siahpush, M., Wakefield, M., Spittal, M., Durkin, S. (2007). Antismoking television advertising and socioeconomic variations in calls to Quitline. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 61: 298-301 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Messer, K., Pierce, J. P, Zhu, S.-H., Hartman, A. M, Al-Delaimy, W. K, Trinidad, D. R, Gilpin, E. A (2007). The California Tobacco Control Program's effect on adult smokers: (1) Smoking cessation. Tobacco Control 16: 85-90 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zhu, S-H, Nguyen, Q B, Cummins, S, Wong, S, Wightman, V (2006). Non-smokers seeking help for smokers: a preliminary study.. Tobacco Control 15: 107-113 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Delnevo, C N, Foulds, J, Vorbach, U, Kazimir, E (2006). Seasonal variations in stage of change among Quitline clients. Tobacco Control 15: 70-71 [Full Text]  
• Walsh, M. M., Ellison, J. A. (2005). Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence: The Role of the Dental Professional. J Dent Educ 69: 521-537 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Abdullah, A S M, Lam, T-H, Chan, S S C, Hedley, A J (2004). Which smokers use the smoking cessation Quitline in Hong Kong, and how effective is the Quitline?. Tobacco Control 13: 415-421 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Abdullah, A S M, Husten, C G (2004). Promotion of smoking cessation in developing countries: a framework for urgent public health interventions. Thorax 59: 623-630 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Miller, C., Wakefield, M, Roberts, L (2003). Uptake and effectiveness of the Australian telephone Quitline service in the context of a mass media campaign. Tobacco Control 12: ii53-58 [Abstract] [Full Text]