Research

Does smoking cessation cause depression and anxiety? Findings from the ATTEMPT cohort
A new study published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research indicates that smoking cessation does not increase the risk of developing symptoms of depression and anxiety. A group of 1,699 adult smokers from several countries were surveyed at baseline as they attempted to quit smoking and after nine months to determine if symptoms of depression and anxiety manifested over time. The results show that successful quitters were less likely to report a history of mental illness at baseline (14% compared to 28%). Among participants who were free of depression and anxiety symptoms at baseline, those who reported six to nine months of smoking abstinence were no more likely to report these symptoms than those who continued smoking. These results indicate that smoking cessation does not cause depression and anxiety, and that good mental health may be supportive of a successful quit attempt. Click here to read the study abstract.

Certain parts of the brain activated in people who heard tailored health messages and quit smoking
A recent University of Michigan study has revealed part of the underlying reason behind the effectiveness of individually tailored public health messages. Researchers interviewed 91 smokers who wanted to quit smoking to design tailored web-based cessation programs for them. The tailored programs were delivered over the course of four months, during which time the participants underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) session to reveal which parts of their brains responded to tailored and untailored messages about smoking cessation as well as self-appraisal messages. The results showed that after receiving their tailored cessation program, participants that had displayed increased activation of self-related processing regions of the brain when shown tailored cessation messages were more likely to have quit than those that did not. The study emphasizes the importance of individually tailored public health messages to change behaviors, and demonstrates how the use of brain imaging techniques can improve our understanding of behavior change. Click here to read more, or click here to read the study abstract, published in Nature Neuroscience.

Safe to quit smoking before surgery, anytime
A recent systematic review and meta-analysis shows that quitting smoking close to the date of scheduled surgery does not increase the risk of complications, as was previously thought. Investigators combined data from nine studies that compared the rate of complications after surgery in smokers who stopped smoking eight weeks or less before having surgery (recent quitters) and those that did not quit smoking. Overall, the study results indicated that there was no significant difference in the risk of postoperative complications in recent quitters compared to those that continued smoking. The study authors say that quitting smoking as early as possible is best for surgical outcomes and long-term health. Click here to read more, or read the abstract of the study, presented in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

For smokers, internet both promotes and undermines smoking cessation
According to a new study, the 2009 federal cigarette excise tax increase both influenced smokers to go online to learn how to quit smoking and to shop for tax-free or cheap cigarettes online. Researchers monitored Google search queries for one year before and after the 62-cent tax increase to evaluate how smokers responded. They found that at the time the tax increase went into effect, queries for both smoking cessation and tax avoidance increased significantly, at 50% and 300% of relative search volume, respectively. Over time, the frequency of both queries decreased, but the cessation searches dropped to pre-tax levels within two weeks of the tax increase, while tax avoidance searches remained 60% higher than baseline for a year after the increase. The authors say that states and the federal government should make an effort to fight tax evasion by enforcing the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act of 2009, which requires internet tobacco sales to be age-verified and taxed according to the buyer’s state. Additionally, real-time search query surveillance may be an effective way to monitor trends in health behavior and health policy. Read more here, or click here to read the full study in PLoS One.

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Reports

Free EX info cards available from Legacy
Legacy is offering organizations free wallet cards to provide to patients who are looking to quit smoking. The cards, developed by Legacy in partnership with Mayo Clinic, direct smokers to www.BecomeAnEX.org, an interactive website which offers a free, personalized quit plan and support community to help people prepare to quit and stay quit. The cards are a convenient way to remind smokers to re-learn life without cigarettes by overcoming triggers and taking the first step toward their new, smoke-free lives. The effort furthers the reach of the EX campaign while providing smokers, and those who support them, with useful resources. Organizations may order up to 5,000 free cards. Click here for ordering information.

Massachusetts offers veterans free nicotine patches to quit smoking (MA)
The Massachusetts Veterans’ Services and Public Health Departments have teamed up to provide veterans and their families smoking cessation support. Under the partnership, veterans and their family members can receive free phone support and a two-week supply of nicotine patches. A similar program was made available for seven months in 2008, during which nearly 4,000 veterans and family members utilized the state’s quitline. The smoking rates among Massachusetts veterans and active-duty military personnel are higher than the state average, reflecting a trend seen nationally. Click here for more details.

Antismoking ads in NYC show gruesome health consequences (NY)
The New York City Health Department has launched a new campaign to educate smokers about the negative health consequences of smoking. Advertisements for the campaign focus on the long-term pain and suffering associated with smoking-related illnesses, which may be more effective in motivating smokers to quit than messages that focus on the risk of death. The new campaign was started to coincide with the annual NYC Quits nicotine patch and gum giveaway that ran through March 24. Click here to read more about the campaign, or visit the NYC Health Department website to view the advertisements.

RI looking to help smokers kick habit (RI)
The Rhode Island Department of Health has announced that it will be launching an improved quitline to help smokers quit. The hotline, 1-800-Quit-Now, is part of a national quitline system that gives individualized guidance and referrals to free local resources to smokers and their families. Support services like counseling and nicotine replacement therapy will also be accessible through the quitline. In a related effort, The Rhode Island Tobacco Cessation Summit took place this month, where leaders in government, the insurance industry, healthcare providers, researchers, and community leaders met to discuss barriers and gaps in tobacco dependence treatment and propose solutions to improve access. Read more here.

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International

Comparative responses to radio and television antismoking advertisements to encourage smoking cessation (Australia)
A study published in the journal Health Promotion International indicates that emotionally evocative radio advertising may be a suitable alternative or complement to antismoking television advertising. Researchers interviewed 306 adult daily smokers to compare their reactions to a radio antismoking advertisement to three televised antismoking advertisements, all of which described the negative health effects of tobacco use in an emotional manner. The results showed that between the radio and TV ads, participants reported similar levels of understanding (96% vs. 95%), believability (89% vs. 90%), concern about smoking (both 77%), and motivation to quit (51% vs. 45%); the radio ad had significantly better unprompted recall (20% vs. 6%). The authors suggest that radio advertising may be especially useful when limited funding is available, or in areas where radio will reach more of the target audience than television. Click here to read the study abstract.

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