MDQuit News Archives - April, 2009

Tobacco consumption rates drop in light of recession -- April 14, 2009

A national drop in demand for tobacco products has been witnessed. Many believe that the economic depression is responsible for this drop, such as Dana Lefko, manager of mission services and advocacy for the American Lung Association of Maryland. Dana claims that she has received many calls from individuals wishing to quit smoking due to "not being able to afford smoking anymore". Proof of this drop can be found in the tax revenue which fell 29% in the second half of 2008. Smoking rates fell nationally as well as locally. In 1998, 23% of all Americans and 22% of all Marylanders were smokers, these rates in 2008 were 20% and 17%.

Cigarette tax has many smokers quitting -- April 14, 2009

A recent 62-cent tax hike for cigarettes has many smokers looking to quit. Debra Annand, director of health education services for the American Lung Association's District of Columbia office, explains that price increases are the number of reason for why people consider quitting. These changes are evidenced by the increased number of calls to the district quitline. Last Wednesday, April 1st, the center had a record number of 131 calls, contrasting from the previous week's number of 44 calls, and trumping the previous month's number of 19 calls. The national quitline transfer number, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, transfers calls to other local quitlines, registered 203,374 calls in March, more than twice February's 91,316. In January, it got 76,685.

Increase in cigarette tax has smokers turning to quitlines -- April 14, 2009

Hot off the heels of the largest national tobacco consumption tax hike, quitlines are finding it difficult to keep up with record call numbers. Mary Kate Salley of Free & Clear, a Seattle company that runs "quitlines" for 17 states, states that the lines got 3,250 calls on Wednesday, April 1st, the day the increase took effect, up 369% from the same day in 2008. Dawn Wiatrek of the American Cancer Society, which runs quitlines in 11 states, has seen a similar increase, with 10 states seeing a 163% increase in call volume in comparison to the three previous Wednesdays. Many quitline coordinators are reporting to have too few employees fielding calls.