Asian Smokers’ Quitline Now Available Nationwide

The Asian Smokers’ Quitline, the first cessation service developed specifically for US smokers who speak Asian languages, is now available for free nationwide telephone assistance for Cantonese-, Mandarin-, Korean- and Vietnamese-speaking callers who want to quit smoking.

The Asian Smokers’ Quitline, the first cessation service developed specifically for US smokers who speak Asian languages, is now available for free nationwide telephone assistance for Cantonese-, Mandarin-, Korean- and Vietnamese-speaking callers who want to quit smoking.

Callers can speak with a bilingual/bicultural counselor to receive help with quitting smoking, informational materials and referrals to other sources. Those who call will also receive a two-week starter kit of nicotine patches.

In a study with over 2,200 Asian-language speakers, researchers show that the Asian Smokers’ Quitline is an effective cessation resource. “Overall, telephone support [provided by counselors on the Asian Smokers’ Quitline] doubled participants’ odds of quitting,” said principal investigator Dr. Shu-Hong Zhu.

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is funding the University of California, San Diego for only one year to operate the quitline. APPEAL hopes that the quitline will receive funding for further years, so that community members have continued access to culturally-tailored cessation resources. A high volume of calls to the quitline in this first year is extermeley important to demonstrate that Asian Americans will use this resource. APPEAL would like to encourage all of our partners to promote the Asian Smokers’ Quitline in your respective communities.

For more information about the Asian Smokers’ Quitline, please visit: www.asiansmokersquitline.org.

The Asian Smokers’ Quitline is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. and the phone numbers for those who want to quit are: