NCI Launches Smokefree Texting Service in Spanish ► NCI Cancer Bulletin for March 6, 2012 - National Cancer Institute

NCI Cancer Bulletin for March 6, 2012 - National Cancer Institute

NCI Launches Smokefree Texting Service in Spanish

NCI has released SmokefreeTXT en Español, a mobile phone-based service that provides scientific information, tips, and support for quitting smoking to Spanish speakers. Users can receive text messages leading up to and following a scheduled quit date, as well as on-demand support at any time of the day or night.
Approximately 16 percent of Hispanic adults and 22 percent of Hispanic high school students in the United States smoke, and smoking-related illnesses are the leading cause of death for Hispanics in the United States. Recent national surveys indicate that Hispanics are less likely than people of other racial or ethnic groups to receive advice about quitting from a health professional or to use proven smoking cessation treatments such as medications and counseling. This highlights the need to find novel ways to engage Hispanic smokers, including those whose primary language is Spanish.
SmokefreeTXT en Español is one of the major features of a new website, Smokefree Español. Users can enroll in the free texting service by signing up online or by texting LIBRE to 47848.
This new tool adds to NCI’s existing English-language web-based and mobile cessation resources for smokers who want to quit.