Maine Tobacco HelpLine Readies For Surge in Call Volume
Thousands of Mainers will resolve to quit smoking this New Year
AUGUSTA - Every year, Mainers join the millions of Americans who make it their New Year’s resolution to attempt one of the hardest challenges: quit smoking. Most smokers in Maine already want to quit, and many will select the beginning of 2008 as the target for improving their health and embarking on a fresh start.Besides the promise of better health, experts are predicting a large spike in people motivated to quit due to financial reasons: it’s never been more expensive to smoke in Maine. The average smoker in the state pays almost $1,500 per year for cigarettes.
But the unfortunate fact is that most people won’t keep their resolution to quit if they do not seek help and support. For every smoker who successfully quits each year, many more make attempts but do not succeed.
Fortunately, the Maine Tobacco HelpLine has been proven to work for thousands of people across the state. Whether someone has been using tobacco for decades or just a few years, the chances for success go up dramatically with assistance from the HelpLine.
With one of the highest call volumes in the nation, the toll-free HelpLine has experienced a steady increase in demand for services since its inception in 2001. And New Year’s Day begins the HelpLine’s busiest time.
“We always see a tremendous spike in calls right after the holidays,” said Dr. Dora Anne Mills, Maine’s Chief Health Officer and Director of the Maine CDC in the Department of Health and Human Services, “Mainers traditionally pledge to open the new year with significant lifestyle changes, and, with the additional financial pressures individuals are facing, we’re preparing for an even bigger surge this year.”
Typically, during the quarter following New Year’s, the Maine HelpLine receives a 40 percent increase in calls. The HelpLine offers free and confidential resources for people who are thinking about quitting or who are ready to quit smoking.
Personal coaching through the HelpLine has been proven to be three times more effective than an attempt to quit without support. In addition to coaching, the HelpLine provides a variety of services to help people quit, including nicotine replacement medication for qualifying individuals. The majority of callers, about 92 percent, are tobacco users. However, advice and coaching are also available for people who want to help a friend or family member quit.
“We know that most smokers will want to try quitting this year, but we also know how powerful tobacco addiction can be,” said Dr. Mills. “That’s why the HelpLine’s services are important for anyone who wants to quit smoking. If an individual has tried to quit before without success, we are encouraging them to try again, with our help, in 2008.”
(Local piece added by HCC staff-Nate Morse)
“Here in Greater Franklin County people have access to help from many different sources, says Nate Morse, CHES, at Healthy Community Coalition (HCC). The HCC has been working for the past six years training physician practices, dental practices, and community advocates in the basics of tobacco counseling. Through a collaborative effort with these health professionals we have been assisting people asses their readiness to quit. When they are ready help is there for them not only through the Helpline but from their provider as well.”
People from all walks of life often have had tobacco effect their lives in some way. It may have been a loved one that lost their life due to a tobacco-related illness, or a friend that struggles time and time again to quit using tobacco. The most important thing to remember is that help is often just a phone call away.
The Maine Tobacco HelpLine is administered by the Partnership For A Tobacco-Free Maine, Maine CDC, Department of Health and Human Services.
The HelpLine’s toll-free number is 1-800-207-1230.
