June 28, 2011 - Smokers nationwide have flooded smoking quitlines with calls since the announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that cigarette packs must carry labels with nine new graphic photos beginning in Fall 2012. The graphic labels feature disturbing images, such as diseased lungs and a man smoking from a hole in his neck, and display the toll-free number, “800-QUIT-NOW,” to put smokers in touch with quitlines in their states. The American Lung Association reported triple-digit jumps in the number of calls for help to some state hotlines, including one state where the calls were up by 200 percent. The FDA estimates 213,000 people will quit smoking as a result of the new emphasis on the hazards of smoking. “What we have seen is, if you tell smokers about (the graphic labels), they are going to call the number. It’s important for states to put more funds into their quitlines between now and next fall. The worst thing that can happen is no one is there when someone is ready to quit,” said Erika Sward, Director of National Advocacy for the American Lung Association.

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