FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 19, 2015
Wisconsin 4th in Nation in Quit-Smoking Attempts
Study Shows Demand is High for Help to Quit
MADISON—A new CDC report shows Wisconsin is among the states with the highest percentage of residents who have tried to quit smoking. Those smokers may benefit from knowing that there is free help at their fingertips by calling 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) or visiting the newly redesigned www.WiQuitLine.org.
CDC analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for the years 2001-2010 and 2011– 2013 to provide updated state-specific trends in quit attempts among adult smokers. During 2001-2010, the proportion of adult cigarette smokers who had made a quit attempt in the past 12 months increased in 29 states and the US Virgin Islands.
The states and territories with the highest proportion of smokers who reported a quit attempt during the preceding 12 months were Puerto Rico and Guam (76.4%), District of Columbia (64.4%), Connecticut (72.5%), and Wisconsin (71.3%).
The states and territories with the lowest proportion of smokers who reported a quit attempt during the preceding 12 months were Kentucky (56.2%), North Dakota (58.7%), West Virginia (59.7%), Iowa (59.8%), and Delaware (60.2%).
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 Wisconsin Department of Health Services.