Cessation
MA takes a multi-pronged approach to support quitting among people who use menthol and other flavored tobacco products who may be impacted by the law, as well as all residents who use tobacco and nicotine products. The state law includes a component that requires private insurers and MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program, to provide coverage for counseling and at least one generic FDA-approved tobacco quit medicine at no out-of-pocket costs.
Select a cessation question. Use demographic filters to look at specific populations. Only one demographic filter may be used at a time. Select a year or multiple years to see trends over time. Data from BRFSS.
Barriers and facilitators to quitting
Select a year to see barriers and facilitators to quitting. Data from MA adult panel survey.
The Massachusetts Quitline
The Massachusetts Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) is the state sponsored Quitline offering free evidence-based counseling and nicotine replacement therapy to all Massachusetts residents. When the statewide flavored tobacco restriction law took effect, the Quitline implemented a special program for people who use menthol products that provides monetary incentives to complete coaching calls and targeted cessation support. In addition, the Quitline also provides specialized support for youth, young adults, people with behavioral health conditions, pregnant and parenting people, and American Indians.
In 2022, only 8.8% of adults in the US who smoked were able to successfully quit smoking in the past year. (Smoking Cessation: Fast Facts | Smoking and Tobacco Use | CDC )
Cessation counseling and medication can help those who are trying to quit.
In the top graph, select fiscal year(s) to see participant quit rate at 7 month follow up. In the bottom graph, select year(s) and program to see intakes to the Quitline program.
MA is working to increase Quitline utilization through a variety of strategies, including launching yearly campaigns to raise awareness of Quitline programs and services.