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SUPPLEMENT
Offering free NRT through a tobacco quitline: impact on utilisation and quit rates
Free
  1. David Tinkelman1,
  2. Steven M Wilson1,
  3. Jeff Willett2,
  4. Christine T Sweeney3
  1. 1
    National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, CO, USA
  2. 2
    Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation, Columbus, OH, USA
  3. 3
    Pinney Associates, Bethesda, MD, USA
  1. Dr David Tinkelman, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, 1400 Jackson Street, Denver, CO 80206, USA; tinkelmand{at}njc.org

Abstract

Objective: To assess the impact on quitline utilisation and cessation outcomes of adding free nicotine patches to the existing programme offerings.

Methods: Tobacco use status data from the Ohio tobacco quitline were collected from a subset of quitline callers 6 months after the initial intake call. To evaluate the impact of the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) initiative, quit rates for two groups were compared: those who entered and exited the quitline programme before the availability of free NRT (n = 4657) and those who entered and exited the quitline programme after the availability of free NRT (n = 5715).

Results: Call volume increased from 2351 intakes calls per month or 78 calls per day before the availability of free NRT to 3606 intake calls per month or 188 intakes per day following the availability of free NRT (p<0.0001). 7-day point prevalence abstinence at 6 months among all quitline callers increased from 10.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) 9.7 to 10.9) before the availability of NRT to 14.9% (95% CI 14.3 to 15.5) after the availability of NRT.

Conclusion: Offering free NRT through a state quitline is an effective means of increasing quitline utilisation and improving quit rates.

  • nicotine replacement therapy
  • smoking cessation
  • telephone quitline

https://doi.org/10.1136/tc.2007.019919

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    Footnotes

    • Financial disclosure: This study was supported by the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation. CTS’s employer, PinneyAssociates, provides consultancy services to GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH) on an exclusive basis regarding matters relating to smoking cessation. GSKCH markets nicotine replacement medications for smoking cessation.

    • Abbreviations:
      ITT
      intent to treat analysis
      NRT
      nicotine replacement therapy