FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 30, 2006
Contact: Christine Lynch, (907) 269-7954, Cell (907) 529-1520
Sherry Hill, Cell (907) 321-2838, (907) 465-1618
Alaska ’s Tobacco Quit Line found to help tobacco users quit
New results released show Alaska a leader in tobacco prevention
Printer Friendly Copy (PDF, 115KB)
( Anchorage, Alaska) ─ Alaska’s Tobacco Quit Line is showing extraordinary progress in helping tobacco users quit. Of Alaskans who contacted the state quit line in 2005 and responded to the survey at a three-month follow-up, 41 percent of smokers and 30 percent of smokeless tobacco users reported that they had successfully stopped using tobacco, according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
“We’ve come a long way since the first Quit Line call in January 2002. These survey results indicate that we are on the right track to helping tobacco users quit,” said Health and Social Services Commissioner Karleen Jackson.
States with larger markets, including Washington, New York, and Oregon, experienced tobacco cessation rates of between 21 to 35 percent for people using quit lines, compared to Alaska’s Quit Line with 41 percent of callers successfully stopping tobacco use.
“Our telephone quit line is free and convenient ─ two important components in encouraging continued counseling that increases the odds of quitting.” said Tari O’Connor, Tobacco Prevention and Control program acting manager. “In addition, nicotine patches offered as a part of the service have been found to increase program effectiveness by as much as eight times, motivating callers to remain in counseling and providing greater support in combating nicotine addiction.”
Studies show that tobacco quit lines have proven effective at promoting tobacco cessation for large numbers of diverse and underserved populations, helping to diminish health disparities. Similar success rates are obtained through the use of counseling paired with medication. However, substantially lower rates are observed for those receiving nicotine dependence counseling alone, and the average quit rate for those attempting to quit on their own is three to four percent.
The Alaska Tobacco Quit Line was activated in January of 2002 to reduce the high rate of tobacco use in the state. After reviewing the effectiveness and convenience of urban and rural-accessible call-in systems around the world, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services contracted with Providence Alaska Medical Center to manage the quit line services.
To reach the Alaska Tobacco Quit Line, call 1-888-842-QUIT (7848); for more information about the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program go to: http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/chronic/tobacco
-30-
Fact Sheet: Alaska ’s Tobacco Quit Line helping tobacco users (PDF 104KB)
Graphics: "Evaluation of the Alaska Quit Line" by Mike Stark, PhD. (PDF 194KB)
Follow Alaska_DHSS on Twitter
Connect with us on Facebook