2010 was the biggest year ever for QuitlineNC, a free telephone service to help tobacco users quit, as 9,840 callers sought help. That was a 72% increase over the 5,685 calls received in 2009, according to the NC Division of Public Health (DPH). The rise in calls followed passage of a state law making North Carolina restaurants and bars smoke-free.

“These numbers show that QuitlineNC is a great investment in North Carolina’s health,” State Health Director Jeffrey Engel, MD, said. “Evidence shows us that smokers who get counseling are more likely to be successful in quitting.”

For more information, an on-line link to QuitlineNC, and an interactive calculator to tally how much money you might save from quitting, visit http://www.tobaccopreventionandcontrol.ncdhhs.gov/cessation/index.htm#20.