Research

Continuing to wear nicotine patches after smoking lapses promotes recovery of abstinence
According to a study published in Addiction, wearing nicotine patches while continuing treatment for smoking cessation can promote recovery from smoking relapses. Clinical trials were conducted with over 500 smokers at eight study sites to determine whether wearing nicotine patches could aid in recovering smoking abstinence after a lapse. The data show that active patch users increased their likelihood of recovering from smoking lapses at six weeks and ten weeks, compared to study participants who received a placebo patch. The authors believe that smokers should be encouraged to use nicotine replacement treatments if they lapse back into smoking. Click here to read the study abstract.

The effects of a multilingual telephone quitline for Asian smokers: A randomized controlled trial
Telephone smoking cessation counseling is effective for Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese-speakers, a recent study concludes. The researchers translated telephone-counseling protocol into the different languages and then randomized Asian study participants to receive telephone counseling and self-help materials or self-help materials only. Smokers receiving counseling had significantly higher 6-month smoking abstinence rates compared with those randomized to the self-help portion of the study. The authors believe that translated telephone-counseling protocol should be incorporated into existing quitlines. Click here to read the study abstract published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Controversial scan doesn't help smokers quit: Study
A new study has found that showing smokers their scan results for clogged arteries does not make them any more likely to quit smoking. Past research suggested that showing people pictures of their cholesterol or plaque buildup helped them stick to their healthy lifestyle changes, but this new study shows that this strategy does not encourage smokers without symptoms of heart disease to quit smoking. The authors believe that further research is needed to explore the effects of the clogged artery scans on smokers who have committed to trying to quit. Read more here, and click here to read the study abstract published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Many people continue to smoke after being diagnosed with cancer
A substantial number of cancer patients continue to smoke after being diagnosed with cancer, a recent study found. The data showed that five months after a cancer diagnosis, 14.2% of patients with lung cancer and 9.0% of patients with colorectal cancer were smoking. Certain factors and characteristics predicted continued smoking, including cancer type, having smoked a high number of cigarettes at one point in their lives, and having low social support. The researchers believe this information can be used by cancer clinicians to identify patients that may need more help and support with smoking cessation. Click here to read more, and click here to see the abstract of the study published in Cancer, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Antismoking media campaign and smoking cessation outcomes, New York State, 2003-2009 (NY)
New research suggests that the New York Tobacco Control Program’s (NY TCP) evidence-based tobacco cessation advertisements may have contributed to positive cessation and smoking-related outcomes seen in the state. New York Adult Tobacco Survey data collected between 2003 and 2009 were analyzed to measure smokers’ exposure to NY TCP advertisements, cessation intentions, quit attempts, and cigarette use. The researchers found that exposure to NY TCP media increased from 6% to 45% over that time period, at the same time as intention to quit and quit attempts were increasing. The authors believe that these results illustrate the contribution of evidence-based advertisements to smoking cessation outcomes. Click here to read the abstract of the study in Preventing Chronic Disease.

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Reports

New tobacco cessation standards for hospitals released
As of January 2012, hospitals can now choose to adopt tobacco cessation standards as part of their performance criteria to meet certification requirements by the Joint Commission, the agency that accredits hospitals throughout the United States. These new standards, which are based on scientific evidence from the 2008 United States Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline on Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, require acute care hospitals to screen all inpatients for tobacco use, and to offer counseling and cessation medications to patients 18 older who use tobacco. Click here to learn more, and to download a free Joint Commission guide to hospitals for implementing the new measure set.

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