The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon close one of its longest-running and most recognizable public health efforts. The Tips From Former Smokers campaign, launched in 2012 to expose the dangers of smoking through deeply personal testimonials, officially ends this September 2025 after 13 years.
End of an Era: The Successful “Tips From Former Smokers” Campaign of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is Ending
Success of the Anti-Smoking Campaign
What set the campaign apart from other initiatives was its portrayal of real people who suffered from smoking-related illnesses such as amputations, heart disease, or oral cancer. Their stories were not dramatizations. They were presented with unflinching honesty, designed to reveal the physical, emotional, and financial consequences of long-term tobacco use.
Moreover, alongside these stark portrayals, the particular advertisements promoted a resource that proved invaluable to many smokers attempting to quit. The national quitline, accessible through the dedicated phone number 1-800-QUIT-NOW, offered individual-specific support, informative nicotine replacement guidance, and encouragement.
The hotline consistently documented overwhelming surges in call volumes, often doubling or tripling during campaign periods, whenever the ads appeared on television, radio, or digital platforms. However, once the advertisements ended, call traffic swiftly dropped, underscoring the direct influence that these messages exerted on motivating smokers to seek help.
Moreover, between 2012 and 2023, the campaign helped initiate millions of quit attempts and directly supported more than 1 million Americans in achieving long-term success. Independent research confirmed that these interventions not only saved lives but also prevented billions of dollars in healthcare costs. The impact is well-documented.
Reasons For Ending a Successful Campaign
Nevertheless, despite the measurable effectiveness of this national effort, its end comes as a result of restructuring at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the second Trump administration. The office responsible for managing the campaign has lost funding, and the current advertising contract will simply expire without renewal or replacement.
Federal restructuring under the second Trump administration resulted in sweeping budget reductions across public health agencies. The CDC faced the elimination of multiple programs and thousands of terminated positions. Note that the same has also transpired in the National Institute of Health and other federal government agencies and offices.
Public health experts warn that the absence of this effort could lead to significant setbacks. Fewer people may seek out quitline services, and fewer smokers may receive critical support during attempts to stop. The ripple effect could increase medical costs and cause preventable suffering across the nation. Note that these costs the public in general.
It is worth mentioning that the campaign was considered one of the most cost-effective health initiatives in federal history. It combines measurable impact with relatively modest investment. The decision is not merely a matter of administrative streamlining or a federal public health policy but a shift that may undermine years of progress in tobacco control.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2025. Tips From Former Smokers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available online
- Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2024. “Tips Impact and Results.” Tips From Former Smokers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available online