Research

My last dip
The Oregon Research Institute has received a research grant from the National Cancer Institute to develop and evaluate a web-based smokeless tobacco cessation intervention that targets young tobacco users aged 14-25 in the United States and Canada. The My Last Dip research project provides scientifically tested content that has proven effective in helping people quit their use of chewing tobacco or snuff. Any smokeless tobacco users who are interested in quitting and willing to complete a short survey can access and use the free cessation intervention. Some benefits of the web-based program are its ability to tailor presentations to individual participants, track and display each participant’s progress over time, provide access to an anonymous, virtual support community, and allow participants to set their own pace.  Click here to access the cessation program. Click here to access the website specific to Tobacco Control professionals.

Smokers would rather give up for their pooch’s health than their own
Researchers from the Henry Ford Health Center recently published the results of a pilot study to examine the attitudes and behaviors of pet owners regarding smoking and secondhand smoke. The study utilized a web-based survey with a sample of 3,293 adult pet owners. Secondhand smoke exposure can be detrimental to pets and has been associated with lymph gland, nasal and lung cancers; eye and skin diseases; and respiratory problems in cats and dogs. According to the researchers, very few smokers realize the impact their smoking could have on their pet’s health. The study found that 28.4% of respondents would be motivated to quit if they knew that their habit was harmful to their pets. Additionally, 8.7% would ask their partners to quit smoking and 14% would ask their partner to smoke outdoors. The study suggests that adding an element about the negative effects of secondhand smoke on pets could be beneficial to public health campaigns and cessation efforts. Click here to read more. Click here to read an abstract of the study in the online journal Tobacco Control.

Promise of cash prompts smokers to quit: Financial incentives tripled rates of cessation, study found
In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers compared smoking cessation results between two groups of national General Electric Co. employees who participated in the trial to test the effectiveness of  incentivized cessation programs. The incentive program participants were paid $100 to complete a smoking cessation program, an additional $250 if they successfully quit smoking within six months from the start of the study and another $400 if they remained smoke-free for an additional six months. After almost a year, 14.7% of the incentivized group had remained smoke-free compared to only 5% of the control group. After 15-18 months had passed, 9.8% of the incentivized group remained smoke-free while only 3.6% of the control group was smoke-free. The study suggests that monetary incentives could be an effective health promotion tool. Click here to read more.

Nicotine gum may help smokers quit gradually
A new study suggests that smokers who want to wean themselves from cigarettes rather than quit all at once may benefit from using nicotine gum.  The study found that that among nearly 3,300 smokers who wanted to quit gradually, those who were randomly assigned to use nicotine gum as they cut down on cigarettes were more successful than those who were given an inactive, placebo gum.  Although most study participants failed to quit completely, the results suggest that smokers who use nicotine gum in their efforts to quit, may be more successful over time. To read more about the study, click here.

Impact on the Australian Quitline of new graphic cigarette pack warnings including the quitline number (Australia)
A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that including the quitline number for smokers to call to seek help foe quitting resulted in twice as many calls to the quitline.  The four year study measured the number of calls to the Australian Quitline for two years prior to including the quitline number in addition to graphic cigarette pack warnings.  The number of callers to the Quitline was then compared to the number of callers once the Quitline number was added to the cigarette packs.  The results of the study show that inclusion of the Quitline in addition to graphic warnings has considerable positive impact on demand for a Quitline, with positive implications for quitting. Click here to access the full study.

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