Quitline use can prompt quit attempts and promote abstinence among smokers, but rates of use are low and outcomes of brief quitline referrals unclear. In this study, a brief intervention was delivered to smokers who expressed motivation to quit in the next 30 days (N = 221) to encourage use of their state quitline. Correlates of quitline use were examined, and quitline callers versus non-callers were compared on the following outcomes at 2-month follow-up: cessation medication use, quit attempts and abstinence. Of the 221 smokers given a quitline referral, 34% called the quitline. Baseline motivation alone distinguished quitline callers from non-callers. Quitline use was positively associated with use of cessation medication, an association that remained robust even after adjusting for baseline motivation to quit. A trend was observed in which callers were marginally more likely than non-callers to report both a 24-h quit attempt and 7-day point prevalence abstinence. Relative to non-callers, callers also endorsed greater confidence to quit and increased self-efficacy to resist smoking temptations at follow-up. This study demonstrates a minimal intervention can promote acceptance of quitlines and favorable cessation outcomes among smokers motivated to quit.
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