remove the barrier to health care and treatment access so that smokers can be identified, advised to quit and encouraged to use evidence-based cessation treatments.
Public health strategies and campaigns established by government agencies and organizations focus on the prevention of tobacco use among youth, reduction of secondhand smoke, boosting quit attempts, and an increased success rate by encouraging current smokers to seek any form of help.
“There are a number of tools that reliably increase the long-term success rate of quit attempts including FDA-approved medications, behavioral interventions, quitlines, and counseling,” Gitchell said. “The challenge, however, is that the majority of quitters do not use those tools. We need more tactics that are used by a greater proportion of smokers, and that’s where the popularity of vapor products and e-cigarettes has substantial potential.”
Gitchell also highlighted some factors that promote quitting are made up of “a standard set of comprehensive smoking control efforts that include increasing the excise tax on cigarettes, increasing price, restricting where people can smoke, clean indoor air policies, and counter-marketing campaigns.”
Although the number of serious attempts to quit per year falls short of the Healthy People Tobacco Use 2020 objective, Gitchell advised that “people who are able to succeed are likely able to do so when they are younger,” and that it’s vital to encourage youth to get past the first day of cessation and access specialized treatment to achieve long-term success.
Author: Katherine Beigel
Katherine Beigel is a general assignment reporter for Addiction Now. She covers topics including demographics, scientific studies, and human interest stories related to addiction and addiction recovery. Contact Katherine at katherineb@drugaddictionnow.com
