Smokers' acceptance of "cold calls" offering quitline services.

OBJECTIVE A random sample of smokers was offered a transfer to the New York State Smokers' Quitline in order to assess smokers' acceptance of "cold calls" offering quitline services. METHOD A 30-minute survey to assess adult tobacco use was administered to 121 western New York smokers who were originally sampled for a random digit dialled survey in 2005, and then re-interviewed one year later, between April and July 2006. Smokers' interest in receiving immediate quitline assistance was assessed at the end of the survey, when the smokers could choose to be transferred to the New York State Smokers' Quitline in order to receive the quitline's cessation services. RESULTS 41% of smokers accepted the offer for, and subsequently received, New York State Smokers' Quitline services. After controlling for factors related to cessation, women were more likely to respond to the offer. CONCLUSIONS Although telephone quitline utilisation is low, these data suggest that the demand is high and "cold calls" may be a strategy to extend the use of quitline cessation services.