A cross sectional survey of smoking characteristics and quitting behaviour from a sample of homeless adults in Great Britain

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a cross-sectional survey of smoking characteristics and quitting behavior among a sample of homeless adults in Great Britain. The survey also gathered data on perceptions of and willingness to try e-cigarettes.

Key Points:

* The survey included 283 adult smokers who were accessing homeless support services in Kent, the Midlands, London, and Edinburgh.
* Participants answered a four-part survey including questions about demographics, current smoking behavior and dependence, previous quit attempts, and e-cigarette perceptions.
* High levels of cigarette dependence were observed, and most participants had made few quit attempts, with the majority lasting less than 24 hours.
* Most participants reported that others around them also smoked, and the most common previous quit methods used were cold turkey, NRT, varenicline, and bupropion.
* Thirty-four percent of participants were willing or able to spend £20 or more for an e-cigarette, and 82% had tried one in the past.
* However, 54% of participants reported that they preferred smoking, and low affordability and high numbers of smoking acquaintances were identified as barriers to e-cigarette use.

Main Message:
The study found high nicotine dependence and few long-term quit attempts among homeless smokers, along with a strong desire to quit and amenability to both traditional cessation methods and e-cigarettes. However, low affordability, preference for cigarettes, and high numbers of smoking acquaintances are likely barriers to e-cigarette uptake. Community-embedded and non-routine approaches to cessation may be promising avenues for promoting engagement with the homeless community.

Dawkins, Lynne, Allison Ford, Linda Bauld, Sema Balaban, Allan Tyler, and Sharon Cox. “A Cross Sectional Survey of Smoking Characteristics and Quitting Behaviour from a Sample of Homeless Adults in Great Britain.” Addictive Behaviors 95 (August 2019): 35–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.02.020.