Using 211 to refer smokers to quitlines – 6/16/05

Q:

Evidently there has been a great deal of success in conducting a media campaign and giving the 2-1-1 phone number for folks to call in and obtain community specific referrals and eligibility criteria, but I don't know if there are linkages with quitlines. Has your state linked with the 2-1-1 call lines as a way of referring smokers to quitlines? If so, please share more about what you are doing.

A:

1. Alabama: We have not linked with 2-1-1 but will do so upon learning of this referral program.
    
2. Iowa: Quitline Iowa is linked to the 2-1-1 system in Iowa as a resource for people who call about cessation services. However, we have not included references to 2-1-1 in our promotional campaigns.
    
3. North Dakota: We experimented using the 211 in our state as another means to drive calls. We tagged our secondhand smoke ads with the 211 number. Many of the callers asked about information on quitting or local programs. An evaluation showed that we had just added another step in the process to calling, we felt we should have just tagged the quitline number on the end of the secondhand smoke adds and linked the people directly. Our quitline provides linkages to local programs.
    
4. Oregon: We were solicited by the people setting up our 2-1-1 line. I submitted information about the Quit Line as well as the phone number. I do not know how well the system has been implemented in Oregon.

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