Offering free NRT through a state tobacco quitline may increase quitline utilization and quit rates.

Call volume to a state tobacco quitline increased from 2,351 calls per month, or 78 calls per day, before the availability of free NRT, to 3,606 calls per month, or 188 calls 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 free NRT to 14.9% (95% CI 14.3 to 15.5) after the availability of free NRT. An Oregon program doubled registered calls to quitlines and increased quitting fourfold.

1. Tinkelman D, Wilson SM, Willett J, Sweeney CT. Offering free NRT through a tobacco quitline: impact on utilization and quit rates. Tob Control 2007;16(Suppl 1):i42-i46 http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/search?andorexactfulltext=and&resourcetype=1&disp_type=&sortspec=relevance&author1=tinkelman&fulltext=&volume=&firstpage=
2. Fellows, JL, Bush T, McAfee T, Dickerson J. Cost effectiveness of the Oregon quitline "free patch initiative". Tob Control 2007;16(Suppl 1 ):i47-i52. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/search?sendit=Search&pubdate_year=&volume=&firstpage=&DOI=&author1=fellows&author2=bush&title=oregon&andorexacttitle=and&titleabstract=&andorexacttitleabs=and&fulltext=&andorexactfulltext=and