They wanted help stubbing out their cigs, but some 6,500 people who called a national toll-free anti-smoking number were turned away in 2011. Washington had quit its tobacco quitline.
State legislators, seeking to make up a budget shortfall, extinguished the anti-smoking program and made Washington the only state in the nation that doesn’t offer smoking cessation support to the uninsured. The toll-free number was still advertised nationally and worked from almost anywhere, but when uninsured Washingtonians called, there wasn’t much that could be done for them.
Now that the state has reignited the program, staff from the line will be returning calls to the 3,000 people who requested callbacks.
“I’m sure these guys will be surprised to get a call,” said Tim Church, a spokesman for the state health department. “Hopefully some of those people have already quit, but if not, we’re glad to be able to offer them some help.”
Gov. Chris Gregoire authorized spending about $1.6 million set aside for tobacco prevention and control, and another $300,000 will come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Church said.
The program re-started July 30, and it’s open to all adults in Washington, regardless of whether they have insurance. The toll-free Washington State Tobacco Quitline is 1-800-QUIT-NOW or 1-877-2NO-FUME for Spanish-speakers.
It offers free counseling, a personal quit plan, a quit kit and referrals to local resources. Eligible callers can also get a supply of nicotine patches or gum.
Since it opened in 2000, more than 170,000 people in Washington have received help from the quitline, and the state credits the program with a 30 percent drop in adult smoking. The estimated 329,000 fewer smokers in the state represent an overall savings of $3 billion in future health care costs, program officials say.