Researchers from Changi General Hospital (CGH) reviewed the quit rates of smokers from the hospital’s inpatient smoking cessation programme in relation to habits and sociodemographic factors. They found that smokers who were older, married and less dependent on nicotine were more likely to be successful in quitting.
The study also found that smoking motivations (such as habitual use and psychological dependence) did not influence quit rates, and therefore do not support the use of e-cigarettes. Instead, a cold turkey method of quitting was shown to contribute to cessation success.
The researchers suggest an increased focus on using pharmacologic aids, such as nicotine replacement therapy, as well as the involvement of peer and spousal support to aid in quit attempts, especially for long-term and heavy smokers.
Assistant Professor Jason See, Programme Coordinator of the Inpatient Smoking Cessation Programme and Cardiology Consultant at CGH, said that raising cigarette prices through tobacco taxes are useful in preventing young people from picking up the habit. However, such price increases do not push long-term smokers to quit. Although the percentage of smoking reduction among such smokers is increased, the percentage of smoking cessation is actually lower.
“If smokers simply reduce smoking and do not quit smoking completely, the health benefits they receive will be greatly reduced,” said Dr See.
“Cigarettes are very addictive, in the same level as cocaine and heroin in terms of addictiveness. What that means for tobacco policies is that it’s important to have things like smoke-free areas, so people are less exposed to smokers,” said Dr Yvette van der Eijk, Senior Research Fellow.
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For more information:
- See, J., Yong, T., Poh, S., & Lum, Y. (2019). Smoker motivations and predictors of smoking cessation: lessons from an inpatient smoking cessation programme. Singapore Medical Journal, 60(11), 583-589. doi: 10.11622/smedj.2019148