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44 CHAPTER 2 ■ Reducing Tobacco Use in the United States

smoking is important to me.” Exposure to the truth® Campaign was associ-
ated with steady, positive changes in attitudes, beliefs, and intentions to
smoke.
In addition to proven research, the truth® Campaign has won more than
300 awards for advertising and public relations efficacy and has also been lauded
by leading federal and state public health officials, the CDC, and the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.

CASE STUDY 2
Washington State’s Tobacco Quit Line

Like other states in the United States and consistent with the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention guidelines, Washington State is currently implementing
a comprehensive tobacco control program with goals that include increasing
cessation, preventing youth initiation, and reducing secondhand smoke expo-
sure among the state’s residents. A cornerstone of that program is the provision
of a statewide toll-free telephone Quit Line, where any Washington resident may
access trained counselors for tobacco cessation support. (See Figure 2-4.)
National review panels have consistently recommended telephone counseling to
help tobacco users to quit, and all states in the United States currently offer a to-
bacco quit line (Maher, Rohde, & Dent, 2007).
On November 14, 2007, the Washington Tobacco Quit Line, managed by the
Washington State Department of Health, received its 100,000th call for help
(Washington State Department of Health, 2008). This is the state’s social mar-
keting success story.

B A CKG ROU N D, P U RP OSE,
AN D FO C U S

In 2000, there were an estimated 1 million
adult tobacco users in Washington State.
On November 15, 2000, the state launched
a new service with a purpose to reduce
FIGURE 2-4 Quit Line Logo this number and a focus on the estimated
Courtesy of Washington State Department 70% (700,000) of smokers who had some
of Health desire to quit (Haase, 2002). As had been