Hotline aids smokers hoping to 'call it quits'

The University is helping people quit smoking with just one phone call.

As one of five sites in the country for the National Cancer Institute's "Calling it Quits" study, the University is helping to provide a phone hotline with counselors and informational pamphlets to help smokers quit their habit.

Vic Strecher, the study's principal investigator at the University, said most smokers want to quit but are not willing to attend group therapy programs. He said "Calling it Quits" provides smokers with an alternative.

"We're providing the opportunity to receive effective help in quitting smoking with just a phone call," said Strecher, assistant director at the University's Comprehensive Cancer Center.

According to the National Cancer Institute's Website, lung and bronchial cancers are the No. 1 cancer killers of white males, black males and white females. Following prostate and breast cancers, lung and bronchial cancers also affect the most Ameri

JEREMY MENCHIK /Daily LSA senior Jeff Bilsborrow enjoys a cigarette outside of the Michigan Union last Wednesday.

cans.

Kathy Bishop, University project manager for the study, said that doctors generally do not have time to talk to their patients about how to properly quit smoking.

"This resource replaces a face-to-face counselor and it's more cost-efficient," she said. "The specialists provide support to help people through the process of quitting."

When people call the toll-free number at the National Cancer Institute to inquire about how to quit smoking, they are asked if they would like to participate in the "Calling it Quits" research study. If the person agrees to participate, a trained information specialist will conduct a survey that evaluates the smoker's habits; how long the person has been smoking, whether they smoke more in the morning or afternoon and whether they have tried to quit before.

Then the participant is sent detailed information on how best to quit smoking. During the 11 months after the initial phone call, the participant will receive four follow-up calls to monitor their progress.

The study, which began in 1997, has had 1,425 participants from across the country. Bishop said people from ages 18 to 86 have participated and the most frequent participants have been white females. Of the 1,425 participants, 197 were from Michigan.

When a person calls the toll-free number from Michigan, Ohio or Indiana, they are routed to the Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit.

Mary Alice Worrell, telephone service manager at the center, said there has been a steady volume of calls since the study began.

"People want to know what's on the cutting edge, what are the new trends," Worrell said. "The response from the participants has been so positive."

Bishop said the literature sent in the mail covers a wide range of smoking problems and offers numerous strategies to quit.

"If a person appears to be addicted to nicotine, we might suggest that they brush their teeth after eating, or go to a smoke-free environment like the movie theater instead of a bar," Bishop said.

The study will continue until March 2000. Participants must be at least 18-years old to participate in the study. To contact the Cancer Information Service's hotline call 1-800-4-CANCER.

11-11-99