Atlanta Falcons linebacker Jessie Tuggle, Department of Human Resources Commissioner Jim Martin, members of the State Tobacco Use Prevention Program and the American Cancer Society will launch UNITE Georgia's statewide toll-free Quit Line, 1-877-270-STOP,

Quit Line is a resource that provides counseling, screening, support and referral services for all Georgia residents age 18 or older and concerned parents of adolescents using tobacco. The Quit Line program launch is in collaboration with the Georgia Health Districts. Volunteers will distribute posters and other educational materials at local events and will be on hand to answer questions about Quit Line's free services. Local businesses, hospitals and physicians also are participating in the program by providing educational materials for employees and patients. When a tobacco user calls the Quit Line, a counselor conducts an initial interview to determine substance usage and willingness to quit. In assessing the caller's needs, multiple options are presented that might include: Follow-up calls as the individual reaches targeted quit date; literature on successful techniques for quitting; referral to organizations and support groups within the individual's area; and four personal sessions with a Quit Line counselor. Twenty-four percent of Georgia adults smoke. An estimated 30,000 Georgia children begin smoking every year and another 10,000 begin to use spit tobacco. Tobacco drains $2 billion in health-care costs from Georgia's economy every year. The Quit Line campaign is one of several components in Georgia's comprehensive approach to increase awareness and change knowledge and attitudes about tobacco use. The Quit Line is funded by the master tobacco settlement and is a component of Unite Georgia's campaign which includes the secondhand smoke ads and now Quit Line. In 1998, Georgia was awarded $4.8 billion as one of 46 states in a landmark settlement against major tobacco companies, receiving the first allocation of $150 million during the 2000 legislative session. Of that, $87 million funded health-related projects and $15.8 million was earmarked to fund tobacco use prevention.

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