Methods: A 30 minute survey to assess adult tobacco use was administered to 121 Western New York State smokers who were originally sampled for a random-digit-dialed survey and then re-interviewed one year later, between April and July 2006. Smokers' interest in receiving immediate Quitline assistance was assessed at the end of the survey, when the smokers could choose to be warm-transferred to the New York State Smokers' Quitline in order to receive the Quitline's cessation services.

Results: Forty-one percent of smokers accepted the offer for, and subsequently received, New York State Smokers' Quitline services. Smokers' acceptance of the referral does not appear to be related to smoking behaviors, although females were more likely to respond to the offer, based on a multivariate logistic regression model.

Conclusions: Although telephone quitline utilization is low, these data suggest that the demand is high and ‘cold calls' may be a strategy to extend use of quitline cessation services.