Implementation of Quitline Financial Incentives to Increase Counseling Sessions Among Adults Who Use Menthol Tobacco Products

Abstract

Since 2017, the Vermont Tobacco Control Program (VTCP) has worked to reduce the impact of flavored tobacco products on Vermonters. With the proposed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars and proposed legislation banning sales of all menthol and flavored tobacco products in Vermont, VTCP prioritized resources to support cessation among Vermonters who use menthol tobacco products. In March 2021, VTCP began offering a tailored quitline protocol for adults who use menthol tobacco, including financial incentives, for completed coaching sessions. From March 2021 to May 2022, 66 quitline callers enrolled in the menthol incentive protocol, representing 8% of all quitline callers and 25% of participants in the state’s quitline incentive programs. A greater proportion of callers in the menthol incentive program completed three or more quitline calls (58% vs. 38%) and enrolled in phone and text support (61% vs. 32%). Quitline callers enrolled in any incentive protocols (menthol, Medicaid/uninsured, or pregnant) were more likely to request one or two forms of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Quitlines remain an effective, evidence-based method of tobacco cessation, especially in reaching vulnerable populations. Given the targeted marketing of menthol brands to Black and African American populations, LGBTQ+ populations, youth, and neighborhoods with lower incomes, addressing menthol cigarette use is key to improving health equity and health of Vermonters. Early data indicates that the use of financial incentives can increase engagement with a state quitline among menthol tobacco users through greater completion of cessation coaching calls, enrollment in text message support, and NRT usage.