NAQC Partners with Michigan Innovations in Addiction Care Through Research & Education (MI-ACRE) on

The North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC) is proud to serve as a community partner and on the advisory board for a five-year PCORI-funded study led by Michigan Innovations in Addiction Care through Research & Education (MI-ACRE) researchers at the University of Michigan. This study compares the effectiveness of two interventions for adults who smoke menthol cigarettes: tobacco quitline alone, compared to tobacco quitline in addition to an incentive-based intervention, called Incentives2Quit, that reinforces smoking cessation. The project aims to improve quitline services by evaluating quitline use with and without the Incentives2Quit program. Incentives2Quit is a promising incentive-based treatment program delivered by the WellcentivTM mobile app. The Incentives2Quit program is designed to complement existing quitline services and enhance access to evidence-based treatment among adults who smoke menthol cigarettes. Every stage of the study will be informed by deep engagement from people who have lived experience with smoking menthol cigarettes, and from community partnerships with payers, quitline providers, and leaders in tobacco cessation advocacy and educational efforts.

Recruitment for the study at the University of Michigan will begin in Summer 2026. The study will recruit 1,200 quitline callers across 6 states to participate in the study.

Partnering on the Wellcentiv Study strengthens NAQC’s commitment to modernizing quitline services and addressing persistent disparities in commercial tobacco use and treatment outcomes, particularly among populations disproportionately impacted by menthol cigarette use.

NAQC support for this project includes quitline partner engagement, community partnerships, and facilitating the dissemination of project updates to a national audience. As the study progresses, NAQC will connect researchers with state quitlines and public health partners, develop annual learning opportunities, and share updates highlighting lessons learned and emerging best practices.