Associations between use of pharmacological aids in a smoking cessation attempt and subsequent quitting activity: a population study

Background and aims: Modelling the population impact and cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation aids is limited by lack of knowledge about how the use of aids changes across quit attempts. Here we test whether the quit method used in a previous attempt influences (i) future decisions to quit and/or (ii) treatment/s used during subsequent attempts.

Design and setting: Data came from the Smoking Toolkit Study, a United Kingdom national household survey.

Participants and measures: Smokers (n = 5489) who completed a baseline and 6-month follow-up questionnaire. Respondents were asked what treatment/s, grouped as: prescription medication/s [bupropion, varenicline or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)], over-the-counter NRT or unaided that they had used in their most recent quit attempt (at baseline), and any use of treatment/s for a quit attempt in the last 3 months at follow-up.

Results: Smokers who had tried to quit at baseline were more likely to report having tried to quit again prior to follow-up [all odds ratios ≥ 2.19 relative to no attempt at baseline, P < 0.001]. Smokers who tried to quit using pharmacological aids were more likely to try to quit again at follow-up (all ORs ≥ 2.19 relative to no attempt at baseline, P < 0.001). Smokers tended to re-try aids used in baseline attempts in future attempts (all ORs ≥ 1.48 relative to no attempt at baseline, P < 0.01).

Conclusions: Smokers who have tried to quit in the past year are more likely to try to quit again within 6 months regardless of whether they used a pharmacological aid, and they are more likely to re-try aids they had used previously.