Public Health Clinical Demonstration Project for Smoking Cessation in American Veterans Who Served Since September 11, 2001

Objective: The purpose of this clinical demonstration project was to increase the reach of effective treatments, such as pharmacotherapy and telephone or web-based support, by offering these treatments in a low cost and convenient manner to a population of Veterans. Methods: Six hundred nine veteran smokers who had served in the military since September 11, 2001 were contacted by invitational letters. Veterans indicating interest in further contacts received telephone calls using standardized scripts that offered referral to the National Cancer Institute's Smoking QuitLine, web-based counseling, and local Department of Veteran Affairs pharmacologic treatment for smoking cessation. Results: Seven percent of survey recipients participated in the clinical program. At follow-up, 23% of participants providing follow-up information reported maintaining smoking abstinence. This clinical demonstration project was associated with a reach of 8.6% (number of smokers who accessed the intervention/the number of targeted smokers), an efficacy of 26% (number of abstinent smokers at follow-up/number who accessed the intervention), and a 24-hour abstinence impact rate of 2.2% (number of smokers with 24-hour abstinence/number of targeted smokers). Conclusions: Results suggested that this project enhanced access to care and promoted short-term smoking cessation in Veterans who have served since September 11. 2001.