Encouraging smokers to quit is one of the six national health targets. To understand the level of quitting activities and the use of different cessation aids, the Health Promotion Agency’s 2012 Health and Lifestyles Survey included two questions about quitting smoking.
Methodology
Current smokers (those who smoked at least monthly) and recent quitters (those who quit in the last 12 months) reported the number of serious quit attempts they have made in the past 12 months. Responses to this question were compared by ethnicity, neighbourhood deprivation status, age, gender, and educational background. Statistically significant differences (p < .05) are reported.
Those who had quit or tried to quit in the past 12 months were also then shown a list of 28 sources of cessation support or advice, and asked to identify which they had used during their most recent quit attempt.
Key Results
- This sample of current smokers and recent quitters made an average of 1.5 serious quit attempts in the past year.
- Compared to other ethnicity groups, Asian respondents were significantly less likely to have made a quit attempt in the past year.
- Four in 10 quit attempters used NRT (with or without other cessation support) during their most recent quit attempts, while three in 10 did not use any cessation support.