With data from 2001 to 2008 in Texas (28,599 clients), 2005 to 2008 in Louisiana (13,861 clients), and 2006 to 2008 in DC (3,050 clients), we counted the number of African American clients and calculated their participation rate as a proportion of their numbers new within the state or district population of Quitline callers. Identification as African American was self-reported in standardized counseling intake interviews. The estimated number of smokers in each area and group was obtained using U.S. Census data and available data from behavioral risk surveys in each location. To investigate the effectiveness of quitline counseling among African Americans, data from a previously reported study were reanalyzed (Rabius, McAlister, Geiger, Huang, and Todd, 2004).

There were 3,522 participants, of which 528 (15%) were African Americans. Data on effectiveness are gathered through telephone interviews in a standardized protocol reported elsewhere (Rabius et al.). Deriving quit rates as recommended by the North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC) (NAQC, 2009), the 30-day point prevalence of abstinence 7 months after program registration was calculated among African American and non-Hispanic White clients separately, with chi-square tests to determine the significance of differences in quitting rates. To examine quitting success among African American smokers who used the service in the two states and the District, data from clients enrolled during 2006�C2007 were analyzed. These included 1,237 African Americans and 3,972 non-Hispanic Whites in Texas, 1,679 African Americans and 3,275 non-Hispanic Whites in Louisiana, and 1,567 African Americans and 81 non-Hispanic Whites in DC.

The NAQC-recommended (NAQC, 2009), 30-day point prevalence at 7-month follow-up as a proportion of followed clients was calculated for each of these groups, and chi-square tests were performed to determine whether differences in quitting AV-951 rates were significant. Results In the two states and the District, African American smokers utilized the service at rates exceeding their proportion in the smoking population. In Texas, 18% of the clients were African Americans, from a smoking population in which only 9% are African Americans. The corresponding proportions are 33% and 26% in Louisiana, and 89% and 63% in DC. In all three locations, African Americans were significantly more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to request counseling: 74% versus 67% in Texas, p < .01; 79% versus 74% in Louisiana, p < .01; and 92% versus 85% in DC, p < .05. There were no significant differences in the average number of counseling sessions completed: 1.2 versus 1.2 in Texas, 1.1 versus1.2 in Louisiana, and 2.1 versus 2.4 in DC.