Tobacco quitlines have a median per-capita cost of just 14 cents (and 85 cents per adult smoker), yet are effective in helping addicted smokers quit, a new study finds.

Researcher Paula Keller of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health said that, "when compared with the total economic cost of smoking of $3,931 per year, per smoker, estimated by the Centers for Disease Control, quitlines are really a bargain."

The study looked at data on 38 quitlines operating in 2004; the information came from the North American Quitline Consortium.

Past research has shown that quitlines can improve quitting success by 20-35 percent. Quitlines -- most of which are state-supported -- provide a variety of services to callers, including self-help materials, counseling, and treatment referrals.

The research appears in the online edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.