Nearly 1 Crore Calls Later, India's Tobacco Quitline Has Helped Over 2.3 Lakh People Quit
What began as a simple toll-free number has quietly become one of India's largest public health success stories, helping more than 2.3 lakh tobacco users break free from addiction through a single phone call.
For years, India's tobacco control efforts focused largely on regulations, warning labels, and restrictions. Yet for millions already addicted to tobacco, quitting remained a deeply personal battle with limited access to professional support. A decade later, a national helpline operating from Delhi has demonstrated that sometimes the most effective intervention is not a new medicine or technology, but a conversation.
Since its launch in 2016, the National Tobacco Quitline Services (NTQLS) has received nearly 1 crore calls, registered over 6.75 lakh tobacco users, conducted more than 37 lakh counselling sessions, and helped 2,32,870 Indians successfully quit tobacco.
Reflecting on the importance of awareness-led action, Shri Manoj Tiwari, Member of Parliament, North East Delhi, says, "India's fight against tobacco cannot succeed through laws and regulations alone. Tobacco addiction affects not just individuals but entire families and communities. The National Tobacco Quitline Services has shown how accessible counselling and timely guidance can help people reclaim their health and future. Protecting young people from nicotine addiction is a collective national responsibility."
The story behind the Quitline begins with a simple observation made years ago by Dr. Raj Kumar, Director of the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute (VPCI) and Coordinator of NTQLS.
Long before the helpline existed, he realised that the majority of India's tobacco users would never walk into a cessation clinic. Some lived too far away. Others lacked awareness, time, or resources. But almost all of them had access to a phone. That insight laid the foundation for what would eventually become India's only free nationwide tobacco cessation counselling service.
"India has one of the world's largest populations of tobacco users, and for years there was no free, structured support system available at a national scale," says Dr. Raj Kumar. "The Quitline gave every Indian who wanted to quit access to trained professional guidance regardless of where they lived, what language they spoke, or their financial circumstances."
Over the years, the initiative has expanded its footprint across every state and union territory. Uttar Pradesh alone has contributed more than two lakh registrations, while young adults aged 18–24 years account for the largest share of successful quitters, highlighting a growing willingness among younger Indians to break free from nicotine dependence. Public health experts believe the achievement is especially noteworthy given India's enormous tobacco burden.
India is home to an estimated 267 million tobacco users, while tobacco-related diseases claim more than 1.35 million lives every year. Despite this, cessation services remain significantly underutilised and under-resourced.
According to Dr. Digambar Behera, Padma Shri awardee and President of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS), the Quitline has become one of the country's most scalable public health interventions.
"What Dr. Raj Kumar and his team have created is India's only nationally accessible, professionally staffed and free cessation support infrastructure. Achieving a quit rate of more than 34 per cent among registered users compares favourably with some of the best international Quitline programmes."
In an era when healthcare innovation is often associated with sophisticated technologies and expensive treatments, the success of the National Tobacco Quitline Services tells a different story. For more than 2.3 lakh Indians, recovery did not begin in a hospital or clinic. It began with a phone call.
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