Report: State tobacco ‘quit line’ saves millions in health care costs

The Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line has saved Wisconsin citizens $26 million in health care costs since its inception in May of 2001. The savings is calculated based on the 6,889 callers who have quit smoking or chewing tobacco with the Quit Line’s help. About $1,623 in annual medical expenses is saved for every smoker who quits, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The Quit Line offers free, individualized quit-smoking coaching to smokers who call 1-877-270-STOP (7867). Quit Line callers are four times more likely to stop smoking than those who try quitting “cold turkey,” without coaching or medication. Almost 40,000 callers have benefited from Quit Line services. About 85 percent are tobacco users and the rest are health care providers, family and friends of smokers or other interested parties.

“The Quit Line helped me a lot,” says Steve Tulugeski, a Waukesha resident who smoked four packs a day for 15 years but quit with the Quit Line’s help. “The information packet was really helpful. The Quit Line called me to give me a boost and the timing was impeccable.”

The Quit Line, funded by the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS), is part of a comprehensive tobacco control program that has helped reduce smoking prevalence by 8 percent throughout the state. By helping people quit, the Quit Line helps to control the state tax burden for programs like Medicaid.

“Wisconsin spends $375 million a year in Medicaid costs on diseases directly caused by smoking,” said Robin Perry, Quit Line coordinator. “That’s 14 percent of the state Medicaid budget. So it makes sense that the more people we help quit smoking, the less all taxpayers will spend on Medicaid.”

Businesses also benefit from the Quit Line’s work. According to DHFS, smokers cost Wisconsin employers $3 billion a year, including $1.6 billion in health care costs and $1.4 billion in lost worker productivity per year. Research shows smokers are more likely to become ill and experience longer recovery times. They also tend to take longer and more frequent work breaks.

Smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death in Wisconsin, killing more than 7,000 residents every year. According to the American Cancer Society, smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer (about 80 percent of cases) and lung cancer is the leading cancer killer. Smoking is also a leading cause of death from heart disease and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

The Quit Line is staffed with quit-smoking coaches from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily who help smokers create an individualized assessment and quit plan. They offer tips on how to quit as well as contact information for support groups and other local programs. All smokers receive a free “quit kit” in the mail after calling the Quit Line.

The Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line, established in May of 2001, is managed by the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI) and is funded by the state of Wisconsin. UW-CTRI, a University of Wisconsin Medical School program, has provided cessation and prevention services in Wisconsin since 1992 and is a nationally recognized research center.