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State hails anti-smoking program - Boston Business Journal: 

A state anti-smoking campaign has helped 33,000 smokers who use the state's medicaid program to quit, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Health officials are hailing the development as the first significant drop in smoking rates within that demographic to date.

Since the MassHealth tobacco cessation benefit was established in 2006, the number of MassHealth members who smoke has dropped by 26 percent. In the 12 months prior to the benefit going into effect, the smoking rate among MassHealth members was 38.3 percent, more than twice as high as the rate for the general population.

The percentage fell to 28.3 percent in 2008. Researchers found a smaller decrease in the smoking rate for other low income groups that did not have MassHealth coverage.

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