Effectiveness of antismoking telephone helpline: follow up survey.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of an antismoking campaign conducted by the Health Education Board for Scotland.


METHODS
Descriptive survey of adult callers to a telephone helpline (Smokeline) for stopping smoking; panel study of a random sample of adult callers; assessment of changes in prevalence of smoking in Scotland before and after introduction of the helpline.


METHODS
Telephone helpline.


METHODS
Callers to Smokeline over the initial one year period. Detailed information was collected on a 10% sample (n = 8547). A cohort of adult smokers who called Smokeline (total n = 848) was followed up by telephone interview three weeks, six months, and one year after the initial call.


METHODS
Numbers of adult smokers calling helpline; changes in smoking behaviour, especially stopping smoking among cohort members; and changes in prevalence of smoking in the general population.


RESULTS
An estimated 82782 regular adult smokers made genuine contact with Smokeline over the year, representing about 5.9% of all adult smokers in Scotland. At one year 143 of the cohort of 848 callers (23.6%; 95% confidence interval 20.2% to 27.0%) reported that they had stopped smoking and 534 (88.0%; 85.4% to 90.6%) reported having made some change. About 19500 (16700 to 22350) adult smokers, equivalent to 1.4% (1.2% to 1.6%) of the mean adult smoking population, stopped smoking with direct help from Smokeling. During the second year of the campaign (1994) smoking prevalence among 25-65 year olds in Scotland was 6% (2.0% to 10.0%) lower than it had been before the start of the campaign.


CONCLUSIONS
The Health Education Board for Scotland's antismoking campaign reached a high number of adult smokers, was associated with a highly acceptable quit rate among adults given direct help through Smokeline, and contributed considerably to an accelerated decline in smoking prevalence in Scotland.
Platt
S
S
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh Medical School.
Tannahill
A
A
Watson
J
J
Fraser
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D015277:Hotlines / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015983:Selection Bias; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D012944:Social Support