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The Thailand National Quitline center (the Quitline 1600)

The Thailand National Quitline center (the Quitline 1600) has operated its services in Thailand since 1993 with support from the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation.

The Quitline 1600 provides its services by giving quit smoking consultation to smokers via telephone lines and volunteers to help smokers to quit smoking. After a meeting in 2007, an agreement was reached among 3 organizations, (1) The Ministry of Public Health, (2) The National Health Security Office, and (3) The Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), through which ThaiHealth supported the establishment of the Thailand National Quitline. Its operations began giving quit smoking consultation since January 2008. The Quitline 1600 is a project under the Sangsukthai Foundation, of which Dr. Wichai Choktiwat is the president. The Quitline 1600 has its own administrative committees with Dr. Siriwat Thiptharadol (Deputy Permanent Secretary) as president, and Assoc. Prof., Dr. Jintana Yunibhand as the director of the Quitline 1600.

Since tobacco addiction is related to the behavior and attitudes of smokers, the Quitline works so that smokers calling the Quitline 1600 are able to change their behavior and attitudes after receiving quit smoking advice. In addition, through social evaluation, smokers’ families can learn of the best measures to help smokers to quit smoking, and smokers’ intentions to quit can be boosted to encourage them to quit smoking. The Quitline 1600 provides its services both as a reactive and proactive service. The reactive service is provided through advice when smokes call the Quitline 1600.Proactive service is provided when staff of the Quitline 1600 callback after smokers indicate a quit date in order to help and monitor quit smoking results of smokers. Besides, the Quitline 1600 also has collaborative work with other networks in terms of patient transfer and patient follow through with hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, entrepreneurs and other networks. Interested people are able to access the website at: http://www.thailandquitline.or.th

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