Missouri Tobacco Quitline and food stamps

KEY QUESTION
Will Food Stamps offices in Missouri adopt and use promotional materials to refer clients who smoke to the Missouri Tobacco Quitline? Will calls to the Missouri Tobacco Quitline increase in counties where the Food Stamps office adopted and used the promotional materials? 

REACH
People with lower incomes are more likely to smoke. In fact, 40% of Food Stamp clients in Missouri smoke, which is 14% higher than the general population. Nearly 33% of Food Stamps clients who smoke know about the Quitline, but only 2% have ever called the Quitline. 

We helped to develop a partnership between the Missouri Department of Social Services Family Support Division and the Missouri Tobacco Quitline, an evidence-based service that provides free telephone counseling, cessation aids, information resources and other support services to help smokers quit. 

A series of Quitline display materials with takeaway referral cards were created specifically for clients of the Food Stamps program. The director of the department’s Family Support Division released a memo encouraging all FSD offices to order these referral materials. 

EFFECTIVENESS
Within twelve days following the launch, nearly 85% of Food Stamp offices (n=100) had ordered 171 Quitline referral displays. These referral materials have the potential to serve thousands of Missouri Food Stamp recipients. 

CONNECTIONS
By partnering organizations that serve low-income populations with Quitline services, more people will be exposed to services that have proven to help people quit smoking. Similar partnerships may include; housing programs, 2-1-1, energy assistance programs and other social service programs.​​​