Quit smoking campaign fires up CDC phone lines

The CDC’s hard-hitting quit smoking campaign continues to fire up the phone lines with record calls for help.

Calls more than doubled nationally in the first two weeks of the campaign, reflecting the local experience of National Jewish. The respiratory specialty hospital in Denver takes calls for Colorado and eight other states as part of a help line contract, and reported a major boost in calls very early in the new campaign.

The CDC saw calls nationwide rise from 14,437 in the week before the new ads started running, to 33,262 calls in the first week, then to a record 34,413 calls for the second week, March 26 – April 1. (The number is 1-800-QUIT-NOW.)

The ads, featuring stark images of former smokers showing big impacts on their health, will run for 12 weeks on TV, radio, on billboards and in print.

In touting the new numbers, the CDC says past anti-smoking ad campaigns have shown five to six smokers try to quit on their own for every one caller to the hotline.

Colorado’s actually a bit of a laggard this time around, according to a quick update from William Allstetter at National Jewish. The eight states National Jewish handles outside Colorado are calling the quit lines at double previous rates. But Colorado has seen about a 57 percent increase.

Hi All,I’ve just quit smoking as well. I’ve also started a blog and have committed to write everyday about how I’m feeling. My hope is that keeping a journal will allow me to look back and remember why I wanted to quit later down the road when I consider smoking. Perhaps my story can help to motivate others as well. Either way I can use all the support I can get. Jakehttp://www.frec9albar.com/quitter

Electa Draper is the health writer for The Denver Post and has covered every news beat in a 22-year journalism career at three newspapers. She has a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's in journalism.