Background: In a 2006 Adult Tobacco Telephone Survey (ATS) the preliminary smoking incidence was lower than anticipated.  During data collection, the questionnaire's introduction was modified twice in an effort to obtain reliable smoking estimates.  Problem/Objective: We analyzed the effect content and client name placement have on survey completion rates for smokers.  Smoker completion rates for three introductions were tested – the first introduction centered heavily on tobacco; the second limited the mention of tobacco and smoking policies as a research goal; the third altered the placement of the client's name. We hypothesized that each introduction change would increase the incidence of self-identified current smokers and the overall completion rate. Methods:  Demographics and key smoking data from the three different introductions were compared using chi-square tests.  Completion and refusal rates on the first attempt where contact was made were compared using logistic regression. Results:  Preliminary, unweighted data showed no significant differences by introduction for smoking status.  Respondents receiving the second introduction were an average of two years younger than those receiving the other introductions.  Nine percent of respondents receiving the second introduction reported their health as fair or poor, significantly lower (p=0.006) than those receiving the first (11 percent) or third (13%) introduction.  The second introduction was significantly less likely (p<0.001) to produce a completed interview on first contact than the original introduction. Conclusions:  Preliminary data suggests that the introduction changes did not improve smoking incidence. The introduction changes also did not positively impact the completion rates overall.