Tobacco.org

Tobacco Quit line Helps First Half-Million Callers 

A free telephone service that helps Californians kick the smoking habit - funded by tobacco taxes approved by California voters and operated by the University of California, San Diego - reached a milestone today as the 500,000th person called for service.

1-800-NO-BUTTS, also known as the California Smokers' Helpline, has been helping callers since 1992, when it became the nation's first statewide "quit line." Today, all 50 states offer similar services as part of efforts to reduce tobacco's toll on the public health.

"The fact that half a million Californians have called for help shows how badly people want to quit," said Christopher Anderson, program director for the Helpline. "When you see a person who's still smoking, despite all the information about negative health effects, you might think they don't want to quit. But, more often than not, they just don't know how to go about it or don't feel confident in their ability to quit. We help them come up with a good plan and stick to it."

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