Tobacco.org

• Quit-smoking line closes 5 days after launch as freebies run out  

More fallout from the down economy: The state shut down its tobacco-quit phone line Monday due to an unprecedented flood of callers wanting to claim free nicotine replacement products because they can't afford them or want to quit before a federal tax hike goes into effect.

About 400 staff members fielded more than 65,000 calls during the five-day period after the phone line was launched last week, including 21,000 during the first 24 hours and 6,000 calls Monday from smokers interested in free nicotine patches, gum and lozenges. In past years, the quit line drew 100 to 200 calls on a heavy day.

The program was intended to run through April 30, but all the medications were snapped up in five days, state Community Health officials said. The quit line will be closed until September, said James McCurtis, spokesman for the Department of Community Health, when spots open up in smoking cessation programs that smokers have to take to get the free medications.

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