Perceptions of health professionnals in a French social marketing campaign against smoking

Abstract

Abstract Background In 2016, Santé publique France, the French national public health agency, launched a social marketing campaign aiming at triggering quit attempts among smokers: “MoisSansTabac”, inspired by the British “Stoptober”. Every year, smokers are encouraged to quit smoking for 30 days in November, health professionals are encouraged to participate in the campaign to support them. In 2018, pharmacists received a poster (“Here, we help smokers stop smoking”) and self-help kits to distribute to smokers. Measuring the perceptions of health professionals is crucial to have a complete overview of the impact of the campaign and to identify ways of improvement. Methods A qualitative evaluation of the 2018 edition has been performed to collect the perceptions of general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists about the intervention and services provided through the campaign (quitline, website, mobile app, self-help kit). In December 2018, semi-directed interviews were conducted with 24 GPs and 24 pharmacists. A diversity of profiles was ensured (professional settings, geographic area, age, gender, smoking status). A content analysis was performed. Results While health professionals had generally poor awareness of the intervention, their opinions were divided depending on their professions. GPs did not feel sufficiently associated nor did they understand how they could specifically participate during this one-month event while they support smokers all year long. Pharmacists were pleased to be involved: they felt recognized in their role as health counselors although their participation remained low. Help cessation services were positively perceived. Some health professionals expected to have a more clearly defined role and to get evidence on the effectiveness of the intervention. Conclusions To improve the acceptability and effectiveness of “MoisSansTabac”, there is a need to rethink the place of health professionals and how to communicate with them about the campaign. Key messages ’Mois Sans Tabac’ is a social marketing intervention which is considered acceptable by general practitioners and pharmacists but improvements are necessary. Health professionals could get more involved in the campaign if their role was better defined.