Smokers who are trying to quit in the new year are more likely to be successful if they use both a state-sponsored telephone quit line and a web-based service at the same time, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The government agency surveyed about 8,000 participants in four states - Alabama, Arizona, Florida and Vermont - who were in their 40s and had been smoking since their teenage years. The participants, who were all trying to kick their smoking habit, were questioned seven months after they signed up to participate with the CDC.
Some of the participants used web-based services and some used telephone quit lines, while others used both.
When the CDC checked up with the participants seven months since they started trying to quit, they asked the participants if they had smoked within the past 30 days.
Those who used the telephone quit lines and the web based service together had the best success rate, according to the study. This appeared to be just slightly better than using the telephone service alone, and much better than using just the web-based service.
The CDC suggested in the study that those who decided to use both services while trying to quit may have seen better results because they are "more committed."
The study was published Wednesday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
