Providing Free Nicotine Patches to Quitline Smokers

Tobacco smoking leads to nicotine dependence and serious health consequences. Telephone counseling has been shown to improve smokers' chances of quitting and is the most accessible of the three evidence-based forms of counseling (individual face-to-face, group, and telephone). It is well established that offering free NRT can attract many more smokers to call a quitline. However, how much the offer of free NRT helps quitline callers quit successfully is less well documented. There is currently no consistent guideline for quitline practice. We want to determine whether two weeks' worth of starter kit nicotine patches is efficacious for smokers who don't have access to free nicotine patches or quitting aids. The study also will provide data regarding the impact of a barrier to obtaining quitting aids by contrasting a direct mailing condition with a voucher condition. Further, the study will help us determine the effect of telephone counseling in the context of nicotine patch distribution and if any interaction effects exist between counseling and patch conditions The study uses a randomized controlled design. Smokers who call the Helpline during the recruitment phase, who meet eligibility requirements for the trial and give consent will be randomly assigned to one of six groups along two factors (nicotine patch and telephone counseling), as described below. The 6 randomized groups are as follows: Group 1: Materials, Group 2: Voucher + Materials, Group 3: Patches + Materials, Group 4: Counseling, Group 5: Voucher + Counseling, Group 6: Patches + Counseling Two months and seven months after their initial contact with the Helpline, all participants will receive two Assessment Interviews by phone. The interview will cover, as appropriate, smoking status, use of nicotine patches and other quitting aids, history of quitting, and satisfaction with services provided. The Assessment Interview lasts from 5-10 minutes.