Methods used in smoking cessation and reduction attempts: Findings from help-seeking smokers.

Introduction:
This article reports on a study examining the methods used by smokers in quit or reduction attempts and mapping the characteristics of users of various methods. The study surveyed help-seeking smokers who visited a website or called a quit line for smoking cessation and were currently in quit or reduction attempts.

Key Points:

* Most smokers were currently trying to quit, and the most frequently used methods were a smoking cessation app for mobile phones, nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), and e-cigarettes.
* Logistic regression analyses identified older daily smokers with high cigarette consumption as NRT users, while the users of a cessation app were younger females.
* The use of e-cigarettes was associated with older, low educated smokers with low cigarette consumption.
* The use of the mobile phone app was associated with having made several recent quit attempts.
* Sociodemographic variables, plans, cigarette consumption, and quit attempts were significantly associated with the use of various smoking cessation methods.
* Those who planned to quit had higher odds ratios for using multiple smoking cessation methods compared to using only one single method.
* The cessation methods most often used in combination with other methods were the cessation app and NRT.

Main Message:
The study provides valuable insights into help-seeking smokers’ preferences for smoking cessation methods and user characteristics. This knowledge can inform further work in smoking cessation planning and policies. The study highlights the importance of considering various factors, including sociodemographic variables, plans, cigarette consumption, and quit attempts, in designing and implementing smoking cessation interventions. The findings also emphasize the need to address the specific needs and preferences of different groups of smokers, such as older daily smokers with high cigarette consumption or younger females. Overall, the study underscores the importance of providing a range of smoking cessation methods and tailoring interventions to meet the needs of individual smokers.

Lund M, Kvaavik E. Methods used in smoking cessation and reduction attempts: Findings from help-seeking smokers. Journal of Smoking Cessation. 2021;2021:9. doi:10.1155/2021/6670628