Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105733

T. Mona Deprey, MS¹, Terry Bush, PhD¹, and Lori Fleming, BFA². (1) Research & Design, Free & Clear, Inc, 12401 E. Marginal Way S, Seattle, WA 98168, 206-988-7846, mona.deprey@freeclear.com, (2) Research & Design, Free & Clear, 12401 E Marginal Way S, Seattle, WA 98168

An established body of evidence shows that relatively inexpensive behavioral and pharmacologic assistance to smokers wanting to quit can double or triple quit rates. Many U.S. states offer tobacco cessation quit line service but, as state governments face growing budget shortfalls, funding for such quit lines is increasingly scarce. This presentation will report on a public/private partnership designed to determine how best to use limited funding to reach smokers and help them quit. Oregon has offered a statewide tobacco quit line (ORQL) to residents since 1998; in 2003, the state was forced to suspend service on the quit line due to budget constraints. Nine months later, funding for quit line services was restored but monies for promotion were scarce. In 2004, Oregon joined with Free & Clear, Inc. (ORQL provider) to determine maximization of their limited budget. The initiative, which launched in October 2004, tested three new tobacco cessation service models among the uninsured and one new service model for all populations; the state concentrated spending on services combined with free NRT and relied on earned media opportunities and health plans activities to drive call volumes. We will describe health plan contributions to the initiative and detail how earned media campaigns combined with new services reached a disproportionate number of uninsured smokers and increased the visibility of the ORQL. We will report on the full initiative, including implementation, challenges, and outcomes, including quit line utilization and referral methods. Finally, we will make recommendations for future research.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to articulate an effective earned media method for state quit lines.
• Articulate 3 ways to reach tobacco-using uninsured populations.
• Participants will learn cost effective methods of analyzing how callers heard about the Oregon quitline initiative.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commertial supporters WITH THE EXCEPTION OF I am an employee of Free & Clear, Inc. which operates the Oregon State Quit line..