One Millionth Person Seeking to Quit Tobacco Contacts National Jewish Health

QuitLogix program helps tobacco users across America

The National Jewish Health QuitLogix tobacco-cessation program reached a major milestone in mid-January, when it was contacted by the one millionth person interested in its quitline services.

National Jewish Health, the nation’s leading respiratory hospital, opened its first quitline in collaboration with the state of Colorado in December 2002. Today, National Jewish Health is the largest nonprofit provider of tobacco-cessation services in the nation, serving 14 state quitlines and numerous businesses and health plans.

“We are extremely proud of our contribution to the public health of America and to the individual health of so many Americans,” said Robin Daigh, president of Health Initiatives at National Jewish Health. “As evidence about the effectiveness of our tobacco-cessation programs has accumulated, more groups serving more people have come to us for help quitting tobacco.”

Only 3 to 5 percent of people trying to quit tobacco on their own are successful. Approximately 35 percent of people using the National Jewish Health QuitLogix program quit and remain tobacco-free six months later. Since 2002, more than 300,000 people have successfully quit tobacco with help from National Jewish Health.

The National Jewish Health QutiLogix is an evidence-based cessation program, which uses a cognitive-behavioral approach to deliver telephonic counseling, an integrated website, email, text messaging and a mobile app. The intensive one-on-one program offers quit plans personalized for each participant. Many of the state and other quitlines operated by National Jewish Health also offer free nicotine-replacement therapy or other quit medications as part of the program.

“The experience we have gained serving one million customers for the past 12 years has helped us continually refine and improve our program to help more people quit tobacco,” said Amy Lukowski, PsyD, clinical director of Health Initiatives at National Jewish Health.

Beginning January 1, 2015, National Jewish Health added the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire to its existing state quitlines in Alabama, Colorado, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Wyoming. Information and coaching are available in English and Spanish, with translation services available for 191 other languages.

Tobacco-users wanting to quit can call a national number, 1.800.QUIT.NOW, and will be directed to their individual state quitline.