An estimated 1.6 million smokers attempted to quit smoking because of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Tips From Former Smokers” national ad campaign, according to a study released by the CDC.  As a result of the 2012 campaign, more than 200,000 Americans had quit smoking immediately following the three-month campaign, of which researchers estimated that more than 100,000 will likely quit smoking permanently.  These results exceed the campaign’s original goals of 500,000 quit attempts and 50,000 successful quits. 

The study surveyed thousands of adult smokers and nonsmokers before and after the campaign. Findings showed that, by quitting, former smokers added a total of about a third of a million years of life to the U.S. population.  Also, millions of nonsmokers reported talking to friends and family about the dangers of smoking and referring smokers to quit services. 

The Tips campaign is an important counter to the more than $8 billion the tobacco industry spends annually to make cigarettes more attractive and more available, including to youth and young adults.  A second set of Tips ads aired earlier this year and plans are under way for a new set of Tips ads in 2014. 

For more information on the Tips campaign, including profiles of the former smokers, other campaign resources, and links to the ads, visit www.cdc.gov/Tips.