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

The combination of quitline counseling with NRT increases quit rates compared with medication alone (odds ratio 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.6). Offering free NRT and multisession telephone support leads to higher quit rates with costs per incremental quit similar to less intensive protocols. A study from the US found that nicotine patch offered for free significantly increases quitting for each of three levels of quitline counseling: brief, moderate, and intensive.
Offering free nicotine patches has a dramatic effect on increasing calls to quitlines. Call volume to a state-run tobacco quitline in the US increased from 78 calls per day to 188 calls per day after free NRT was offered (p<0.0001). In addition, 7-day point prevalence abstinence at 6 months among all quitline callers increased from 10.3% (95% CI 9.7-10.9) to 14.9% (95% CI 14.3-15.5) following the availability of free NRT. Another state-run quitline (in Oregon) doubled registered calls and increased quitting fourfold after it began to offer free NRT.

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.

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.

Hollis JF, McAfee TA, Fellows JL, Zbikowski SM, Stark M, Riedlinger K. The effectiveness and cost effectiveness of telephone counselling and the nicotine patch in a state tobacco quitline. Tob Control. 2007; 16(Suppl 1): i53-i59.

Cummings KM, Fix B, Celestino P, Carlin-Menter S, O'Connor R, Hyland A. Reach, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of free nicotine medication giveaway programs. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2006; 12(1): 37-43.