The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: To explore why smokers quit and what they say will motivate them to make a quit attempt.

Methods: Data will be presented from a series of studies investigating what smokers say motivate them to make a quit attempt and interventions to encourage smokers to quit.

Results: Smokers say concern about health, access to lower cost stop smoking medications, and financial incentives are factors that motivate them to think seriously about quitting. Intervention studies conducted in New York State over the past four years confirm the importance of these factors in motivating smokers to call the State's Quitline. Hard hitting mass media campaigns which graphically educate smokers about the risks of smoking reliably increased calls to the Quitline. The offer of free nicotine medication also increased call volume to the Quitline, sometimes dramatically so. Among smokers sent free nicotine medications 85%-90% reported making a quit attempt and quit rates were consistently higher who got free medications compared to those not sent the free medication. Efforts to stop smoking also appear to be influenced by the cost of cigarettes with calls to the Quitline varying in relationship to the price of variation between regions and overtime. Monetary incentives offered through Quit and Win contests have also motivated smokers to make quit attempts.

Conclusions: Studies conducted in New York State find that smokers can be motivated to make a quit attempt by communicating information about the health risks of smoking, providing access to stop smoking medications, and providing financial incentives.