For Immediate Release:
January 10, 2008

Contact:
Nanci Gonder
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062

National Tobacco Quitline celebrates One Million Calls
Gov. Blunt Encouraging Missourians to Call for Free Help

Jefferson City - Gov. Matt Blunt is encouraging Missourians who want to quit smoking to take advantage of free resource to help them reach their goal.  The National Tobacco Quitline recently announced its one millionth call for help to quit smoking and thousands of those calls have come from Missourians interested in kicking a tobacco habit.
“The response to our state’s participation in the toll free program has been an enormously successful resource to assist Missourians who want to quit smoking,” Gov. Matt Blunt said. “With this program, more Missourians are receiving the assistance and the tools they need to lead healthier lives.  This year I am recommending a substantial increase in funding to create the state's first comprehensive smoking cessation initiative as well as a significant increase for our state's tobacco quitline and prevention programs for young people."

Since Missouri began offering assistance through the Tobacco Quitline in 2005, tobacco users have increasingly called the toll-free number, 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). By the end of 2007, nearly 22,000 Missourians had used the program, coordinated by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and funded through grants from the federal government and private foundations.

“One million calls from smokers across the country is a tangible demonstration that many people want to quit using tobacco, here in Missouri and across the country. This is an important milestone in our efforts to help people stop smoking,” said Stan Cowan, manager of the state health department’s Tobacco Use Prevention Program. “The Tobacco Quitline is an effective tool in helping people quit tobacco and improve their health. Smokers are encouraged to make the call.”

Gov. Blunt has been strong supporter of the Tobacco Quitline. The governor announced a plan on Tuesday calling for an unprecedented $11.6 million both to prevent smoking and help individuals quit smoking, including through the Quitline.
The Quitline is a national line that offers smokers telephone-based counseling and information. Missouri contracts to be part of the service. A free “quit kit” of self-help materials is mailed to each caller. Research shows that professional coaching more than doubles a person’s chances of successfully quitting smoking compared to trying it “cold turkey.” For a brief time last spring, free nicotine replacement patches or gum also were offered through the Quitline to low-income smokers in Missouri. The overwhelming response prompted efforts to obtain additional funding to renew the offer.

Historically, rates for tobacco use and tobacco-related diseases and deaths have consistently been significantly higher in Missouri than for the nation. More than 23 percent of Missouri adults smoke, compared to 20 percent nationwide. Every year, more than 10,000 Missourians die from tobacco-related diseases including lung cancer, heart disease and stroke.
“Evidence about the health effects of secondhand smoke presented in a report from the Surgeon General last year shows that when people quit smoking, they are not only improving their own health but also the health of their family members, friends and coworkers who otherwise would be exposed to their secondhand smoke,” Cowan added.
Secondhand smoke causes an average of 1,150 deaths in Missouri annually.

In addition to the $1 million for the Tobacco Quitline, the Governor’s proposal to help Missourians quit smoking includes:

*$8,642,000 to create a new smoking cessation initiative within MO HealthNET, which provides health care services to low-income Missourians

*$2 million to fund tobacco prevention programs for young people

The Tobacco Quitline is answered from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily by specialists experienced in telephone counseling, one-on-one interviewing and behavior change. After hours, a message can be left and the call will be returned.

More information about the Quitline and the health risks related to smoking and secondhand smoke can be found at: www.dhss.mo.gov/SmokingAndTobacco/.