In August 2003, the Board of Directors launched the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline (1-800-QUIT-NOW), a professional, telephone-based tobacco cessation counseling service provided at no charge to Oklahomans who want to quit using tobacco.

Oklahomans Served (July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006)

• 16,114 Oklahoma tobacco users registered for Helpline services. In addition, 175 health care providers and 514 family or friends of tobacco users received information to assist their patients and loved ones.
• Registrants called from 76 of Oklahoma's 77 counties (Cimarron county was not represented) and from 33 of 39 federally-recognized Native American tribes in Oklahoma.
• 5,260 of tobacco users who registered for Helpline services enrolled in the single-call counseling program. 10,700 of tobacco users who registered enrolled in the multiple-call counseling program.
• 7,524 tobacco users received both the multi-call counseling and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).
• Of the registrants who had visited a physician or other health care provider within the last 12 months, 85% reported their providers had advised them to quit.
• Among those served, 76.9% were white; 8.0% were African American; 10.3% were American Indian; and 3.7% were Hispanic.
• Nearly two-thirds of all callers to the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline are female.
• 273 of the registrants were pregnant or breast-feeding mothers.
• 66% of registrants had incomes of $20,000 or less.
• 62% of registrants had a high school education or less.
• 45.2% of registrants had no health insurance.

Program Results

• Over 90% of Helpline participants were satisfied with Helpline services and would recommend the Helpline to others.
• A year after contacting the Helpline, 28.3% of those in the multiple-call program and 23.1% of those in the single-call program quit tobacco. By comparison, the "cold turkey" quit rate is only 5%.
• Helpline participants receiving both the multiple-call program and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) had the highest quit rates at the thirteen month follow-up, nearly 30.9%.
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that $1,623 in excess direct medical costsis saved each year for every smoker who quits.
• Based on an estimated 4,275 quitters in FY 2006 alone, an estimated $6.9 million in excess direct medical costs will be saved each year. Including results from previous years, an estimated total of $12.8 million in excess direct medical costs will be saved each year.

For more information, contact Tracey Strader, Executive Director, Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, (405) 525-8738, toll-free (866) 530-TSET, www.tset.ok.gov.