By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) - Telephone quitlines offer free and effective treatment for tobacco dependence, but for low-income smokers who only have a cell phone and don’t have unlimited minutes, calls to the quitline may take a substantial portion of their cell minutes for the month, according to a new study. The researchers didn’t ask smokers if this limitation affected whether or not they used the quitlines, but estimated for how many smokers this might potentially be an issue based on phone ownership and service plans. Quitlines are available in Mexico, Canada, and all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the District of Columbia, according to the North American Quitline Consortium.



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