Massachusetts
Quitline Profile
United States
Quitline: Massachusetts Smokers' Helpline
Began Operations: July 1994
Standard Hours of Operation
Monday:
09:00 AM - 07:00 PM
Tuesday:
09:00 AM - 07:00 PM
Wednesday:
09:00 AM - 07:00 PM
Thursday:
09:00 AM - 07:00 PM
Friday:
09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Saturday:
09:00 AM - 02:00 PM
Sunday:
Closed
Closed on:
New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas
Telephone Numbers
Line
Phone Number
Language/Subject
1
(800) 784-8669
English
2
(800) 833-5256
Spanish
3
(800) 943-8284
English/Spanish quit tips
4
(800) 833-1477
Deaf/Hard of hearing
Supported Languages
Counseling offered in: English, Spanish
Third-party counseling: English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, French, Russian, AT&T services with translation in over 140 languages
Deaf/Hard of hearing: 
 
Phone Counseling
Types:
brief intervention
single-session
multi-session (client-initiated)
multi-session (counselor-initiated)
text to cell (two-way)
text to cell (one-way)
text to cell (two-way w/ counselor)
text to cell (two-way automated)
Length of standard first session: 40 min
Length of standard follow-up session: 15 min
Counseling session topics:
tobacco history
developing a quit plan
setting a quit date
withdrawal symptoms
relapse prevention
weight gain
use of cessation medication
stress management
other
Web-Based Services
quitline information
cessation information
self-help tools
automated e-mail messages
interactive counseling
chat rooms
webpages
forums
online courses
social media
AI
mobile app
Cessation Medications
Free Medications
patch
gum
lozenge
nasal spray
inhaler
varenicline
bupropion
combination NRT
Discounted Medications
patch
gum
lozenge
nasal spray
inhaler
varenicline
bupropion
combination NRT
Medication Distribution Methods
voucher
by mail
Other Services
voicemail with callbacks
recorded self-help messages
referral to other health services
mailed info or self-help resources
To receive counseling:
No criteria
To receive medication:
Medical eligibility criteria; Age 18 or over
Specialized Materials
youth, under 18
youth, 18-25
older tobacco users, 55+
smokeless tobacco users
pregnant tobacco users
multiple addictions
racial/ethnic populations
lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender
chronic health conditions
low socioeconomic status or Medicaid
low literacy
other
mental health disorders including psychiatric conditions
Specialized Protocols
pregnant tobacco users
behavioral health
youth, under 18
Cost-Sharing Partnerships
Medicaid
Medicare
state as employer
large self-insured business
commercial insurer
other
Fax or electronic referral program:  Yes
Person(s) eligible to refer patients:
certified or trained fax referral providers
clinicians or non-clinicians in a healthcare setting
clinicians or non-clinicians in a community-based organization
other
Available referral methods:
faxed form
e-mail or online
EMR with electronic submission
Tobacco users can be referred if they:
are thinking about quitting
indiciate a readiness to quit within 30 days
are ready to make a quit attempt
are quit and seek help to stay quit
Referred patients contacted within:  Within 72 hours
Other services available to referring providers:
quitline and/or referral brochures
customized referral/consent forms
patient progress reports
customized provider feedback reports
staff training
quitline/referral program newsletter
Referral program contact:
Nanette Vitali/Anna Landau
University of Massachusetts; QuitWorks
(508) 856-4427
nanettem.vitali@umassmed.edu
Other information:
Smoke-Free Laws
Workplaces: Yes
Bars: Yes
Restaurants Yes
Tobacco Tax Rates
Current cigarette tax rate: $3.51
Effective date: July 31, 2013
Amount of last increase: $1.00
Quitline Engagement (Source: NAQC Annual Survey - 2023)
Number of direct calls to the quitline: 8,420
Number of tobacco users receiving services: 1,835
Number of tobacco users registering for Web-based services: 1,775
Number of tobacco users referred to the quitline: 3,858
Quitline Investment and Impact (Source: NAQC Annual Survey - 2023)
Amount per smoker spent on services and medications: $0.98
Amount per smoker spent on media and promotions: Not available
Promotional reach: Not available
Treatment reach: 0.34 %
NAQC standard quit rate: 30.40 %
NOTE: Additional quitline data is available online at www.naquitline.org/data/
Context for quitline metrics:
Funder of quitline services: Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Operator of counseling services: National Jewish Health
Funding source(s): State/Provincial government, Federal government
Electronic Medical Records:
Profile last updated on August 22, 2024