Michigan Tobacco Quitline reaches 100,000 callers, provides key health resources

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is pleased to announce that the Michigan Tobacco Quitline has now reached more than 100,000 callers, supporting thousands of residents by providing tobacco cessation resources.

"Quitting the use of tobacco products is one of the best, most immediate steps you can take to improve your health, and the Michigan Tobacco Quitline helps residents do just that,” said Nick Lyon, director of MDHHS. “Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable illness in our state, and so it's a very promising sign for Michigan that so many residents are taking advantage of this free, life-changing and potentially life-saving resource.”

The Michigan Tobacco Quitline began operations in 2003, and offers free information, services and referrals to Michigan residents who want to quit using tobacco. These services include telephone and online coaching programs, self-help materials, lists of local quit smoking programs, and text and email messaging. Qualifying residents may be eligible to receive free one-on-one coaching and nicotine replacement therapy.

The use of tobacco products is the single most preventable cause of disease, disability and death in Michigan and throughout the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths each year. The Michigan Tobacco Quitline has helped reduce tobacco use in our state, but there is still more work to be done.  The current adult smoking rate in Michigan is 21.4 percent, a rate that is higher than the national median prevalence of 19 percent.

There are many benefits to quitting smoking, including:

• Lower risk for lung and other types of cancer.
• Reduces the risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Coronary heart disease risk is substantially reduced within 1 to 2 years of quitting.
• Reduces symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. The decline in lung function is slower among people who quit than among those who continue to smoke.
• Reduces the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.
• Smoking cessation by women during their reproductive years or during pregnancy reduces the risk for infertility, and the risk of having a low birth weight baby

The Michigan Tobacco Quitline is available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. EST. and can be reached 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) or https://michigan.quitlogix.org/.  For additional resources and information about tobacco use in Michigan, visit www.michigan.gov/tobacco.

###