Support for Quitting
Despite a declining rate of tobacco use in recent years, smoking continues to be a global health issue, which can make people sick and claim lives.1
For those who are ready to quit and want to quit, there is significant evidence to support their efforts to do so. Public health officials offer various methods to aid in cessation efforts: brief advice to plan for a quit attempt, build relationships for social support, professional help and counseling, identifying triggers, preparing for cravings, rewards and recommitment.2
Smoking cessation interventions can range from simple advice to intensive behavioral support and pharmacological treatment, like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).3 A professional may recommend medications such as NRT and others for physical dependence, as well as recommending behavioral support or counseling.4 Combining FDA approved cessation medications in conjunction with behavioral counseling is a cost effective strategy that increases the likelihood of quitting.5
What a healthcare provider does and says about smoking cessation can make a difference for their patients who are currently smoking, however over 40 percent of adults who smoke do not receive advice to quit from a healthcare professional.6
Social support is also an important strategy in smoking cessation. In a 32-year study, researchers looked at clusters of smokers and determined smoking behavior spreads through close and distant social ties, interconnected groups stop smoking in concert, and smokers may be marginalized socially.7 This means having the support of quitting with friends and former-smokers in an immediate group, a support group, or a social media group should be considered.
As part of the on-going effort to successfully support smokers who are ready to quit, the National Cancer Institute provides quitline services through Smokefree.gov, to provide live trained help to counsel and provide information.8 Smokefree.gov’s quitline portal (1-800-QUIT-NOW) connect to quitlines in all 50 states and Washington DC. Recent technological developments have also given those who want to a quit more support mechanisms. Mobile apps and mobile-phone-based text messages are now effective smoking cessation tools.9
The Monday Campaigns has worked with the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to explore the ways in which Monday can help people quit and stay quit. Recent studies highlight the importance of Monday as a successful approach to quit smoking.10, 11
For more information about using a Monday cue to support healthy behavior, read The Monday Campaigns Research. Visit our Resources page for more creative material and resources to promote Quit & Stay Quit Monday.
[1] Wang, et al. 2018. Tobacco Product Use Among Adults — United States, 2017. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CDC. November 9. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6744a2.htm?s_cid=mm6744a2_w
[2] Hughes, J.R. 2003. Motivating and Helping Smokers to Stop Smoking. J Gen Intern Med. 2003 Dec; 18(12): 1053–1057. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1494968/
[3] Crain and Bhat. 2010. Current treatment options in smoking cessation. Hospital Practice. 2010 Feb;38(1):53-61. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20469625
[4] Medications Can Help You Quit. Smokefree.gov. https://smokefree.gov/tools-tips/how-to-quit/medications-can-help-you-quit
[5] Smoking Cessation: A Report of the US Surgeon General. US Dept. of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2020-cessation-sgr-full-report.pdf
[6] Adams et al. 2020. What You Need to Know About Quitting Smoking: Advice from The Surgeon General. US Dept. of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2020-cessation-sgr-consumer-guide.pdf
[7] Christakis and Fowler. 2008. The Collective Dynamics of Smoking in a Large Social Network. N Engl J Med 2008;358:2249-58. https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMsa0706154
[8] Speak to an Expert. Smokefree.gov. https://smokefree.gov/tools-tips/get-extra-help/speak-to-an-expert
[9] Tools & Tips. Smokefree.gov. https://smokefree.gov/tools-tips
[10] De Leon, et al. 2018. ‘Quit and Stay Quit Monday’ as a novel approach to smoking cessation: A pilot experimental study. Journal of Smoking Cessation. Volume 13, Issue 3. September 2018 , pp. 171-175. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-smoking-cessation/article/quit-and-stay-quit-monday-as-a-novel-approach-to-smoking-cessation-a-pilot-experimental-study/A37244A9E1B5A1245D874C2991F5B40D
[11] Welding et al. 2017. Weekly enrollment and usage patterns in an Internet smoking cessation intervention. Internet Interventions. Volume 9, September 2017, Pages 100-105. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782916300331