Quitlines

Maryland's 1-800 QUIT NOW. SmokingStopsHere.com

Maryland now has a FREE Quitline which anyone can call to receive four free counseling sessions to help them set a quit date and kick the smoking habit!

Maryland Quitline2
1-800-QUITNOW
1-877-777-6534 (Deaf or hard of hearing)
Website: http://www.smokingstopshere.com
In operation since June 2006
Languages: English & Spanish

Do Quitlines Work?

  • Smokers who use Quitlines for smoking cessation are more likely to successfully kick the habit than those who try to quit on their own.
  • A recent review found that 3 or more calls to a Quitline increased the odds of a smoker making a successful quit attempt compared to other minimal interventions (such as self-help) or pharmacotherapy alone.1
  • Telephone Quitlines are an attractive alternative way of delivering smoking cessation counseling. Quitlines have many advantages over more traditional methods of smoking cessation, such as self-help or group therapy.
  • In general, only about 7% of smokers remain abstinent (smoke-free) one year after quitting smoking.3
  • The one-year abstinence rate associated with the use of Quitlines dramatically increases to around 30%.4
  • Quitlines have the capacity to reach large numbers of people interested in quitting.

Why should you call the Quitline or tell your friends to call?

  • You don't have to travel to attend classes. This may be good for you if you live in rural area, have limited mobility, or have limited access to transportation.
  • If you are hesitant to participate in face-to-face groups, this is an alternative way to talk to someone about your options for quitting.
  • You don't have to remember to call again for an appointment, you can set up an appointment and the counselors will call you.
  • You will receive free counseling, which is very affordable on a student budget!

What should you expect if you call the Quitline?2

  • You will talk one-on-one with a counselor.
  • Your first session will be about 30 minutes.
  • Your follow-up phone calls from the counselor will be about 10-15 minutes.
  • You will have up to 4 free counseling sessions.
  • At least 2 of your follow-up phone calls will be within 10 days of quitting.

Extent of Quitline Usage

Since 1992, Quitlines for smoking cessation have grown steadily. In 2004, the Department of Health and Human Services established a national network of Quitlines. This national network, the North American Quitline Consortium (see http://www.naquitline.org/welcome.asp), offers a wide array of services that varies from state to state. In North America, all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and all 10 Canadian provinces provide access to Quitlines.

For information about other tobacco cessation methods, including Psychosocial Interventions, Group and Individual Counseling, check out MDQuit: http://mdquit.org/index.php/programs-and-materials/

References:

  1. Stead LF, Perera R, Lancaster T. Telephone counseling for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD002850. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002850.pub2. http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD002850/frame.html
  2. North American Quitline Consortium. 2006. Quitlines of North America and Europe 2006. Phoenix: North American Quitline Consortium.
  3. Zhu, S-H., Melcer, T., Sun, J., Rosbrook, B., & Pierce, M. S. (2000). Smoking cessation with and without assistance a population-based analysis. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 18, 305-11.
  4. Lichtenstein, E., Glasgow, R. E., Lando, H. A., Ossip-Klein, D. J., & Boles, S. M. (1996). Telephone counseling for smoking cessation: rationales and meta-analytic review of evidence. Health Education Research, 11, 243-257.

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