Cessation Help Research Articles

Exploring the Perceptions of Indian Mental Health Professionals Regarding Areca (Betel) Nut Products: A Cross-sectional Study.

Areca nut (AN) and AN products (ANPs) are commonly used as psychoactive substances with marked dependence potential. Scant information exists on the Indian mental health professionals' (MHPs) knowledge of AN-ANPs, attitude toward AN-ANP use/users, and behavior regarding their clients' AN-ANP use. To address this gap, a survey was undertaken to assess MHPs' knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral responses toward AN-ANP use and addiction. We developed a pretested, customized questionnaire and conducted a cross-sectional online survey among a random sample of MHPs. The 209 respondents included 91 psychiatrists, 105 clinical psychologists, and 13 other MHPs from diverse settings. Among them, 46.89% believed that AN-ANP use does not fit the definition of abuse/addiction as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition or International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10)/ICD-11. Among the psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and other MHPs, 60.4%, 48.6%, and 61.5% were unaware of any AN-ANP cessation protocols. The addictive potential of AN-ANP with tobacco was rated as severe by 68.1% of psychiatrists and 51.4% of clinical psychologists; 46.2% of other MHPs rated it as moderate. The addictive potential of AN-ANP without tobacco was rated as moderate by 50.5% of clinical psychologists and mild by 46.2% of psychiatrists. Of the sample, 67.46% discussed the harmful effects of AN-ANPs with clients, while 74.6% said a few or none of their clients sought help for AN-ANP cessation. Major lacunae were detected in the understanding of Indian MHPs about the addictive potential of AN-ANPs, management aspects, etc. An urgent need has been revealed for sensitization programs on AN-ANPs and the development of evidence-based cessation protocols.

"It's the Wild West Out There": A Qualitative Study of the Views and Preparedness of Health Professionals in Helping Young Adult E-cigarette Users to Quit.

Young adults (YA) are attempting to quit vaping, with many accessing smoking cessation programs with a lack of reported efficacy, highlighting the need for targeted vaping cessation support. Young people report seeing health professionals (HPs) as potential sources of support in the quitting process. Additionally, the current changing regulatory landscape around vaping in Australia potentially increases the number of those seeking health professional help for cessation. However, limited research exists on HPs' views and preparedness to assist YA with their vaping cessation; thus, this exploratory study aimed to gain insights into their readiness to support YA in quitting vaping. Data were gathered via eight co-design workshops (two groups each of two hours duration and six semi-structured interviews of 1-hour duration), facilitated online with 12 HPs. Data underwent thematic analysis. HPs expressed a need for more information in supporting YA to quit vaping, with them presently relying on informal pathways of support and information for their practice. Participants reported a lack of evidence-based guidelines and a reluctance to prescribe nicotine vapes, expressing conflict with the changing regulatory landscape in Australia. Our findings identify a significant gap in health professional preparedness in supporting vaping cessation. HPs are working within a rapidly evolving regulatory environment and are feeling unprepared to address the widely spread issue of vaping, especially among young people. We demonstrate the critical need for guidelines and training of HPs to enable them to better support young people in quitting vaping. This qualitative study offers unique insights into the views and readiness of Australian HPs to support young people to quit vaping, specifically in the context of recent regulatory reforms. The results highlight the need for evidence-based guidance and training for HPs to inform their vaping cessation support practice.

Assisting young people aged 12-25 years to cease e-cigarette use in general practice.

Increasing numbers of young people (adolescents aged 12-17 years and young adults aged 18-25 years) are using e-cigarettes. Although the extent of the health effects is currently unknown, young people are at risk of developing nicotine dependence and, as a result, find it difficult to cease use of e-cigarettes. Theymight seek help from their general practitioner (GP) to do so. This article summarises the available evidence for e-cigarette cessation in young people and suggests a rational approach to assist GPs seeing young people seeking help for e-cigarette cessation. There is limited evidence to support besttreatment options for e-cigarette cessation in young people. An approach based on the experience from tobacco cessation in adults and adapted for young people might assist. Management that supports family and school engagement, with behavioural interventions, nicotine replacement therapy, other pharmacological interventions and ongoing review as appropriate for the young person's age and developmental milestones, might help successful e-cigarette cessation.

Barriers to seeking tobacco cessation services: a qualitative assessment of university students' needs in Qatar.

The prevalence of tobacco use in the Middle East is alarmingly high, especially among university students; most users initiate tobacco use during adolescence and young adulthood. Evidence-based cessation services can be beneficial when quitting tobacco use; however, these services are underutilized. This study aimed to explore the barriers preventing university students in Qatar from seeking tobacco cessation services. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 Qatar University students who are current or former tobacco users (n = 18/2); most current cigarette smokers were also waterpipe users. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The major barriers to seeking tobacco cessation services included misconceptions regarding nicotine addiction, negative perceptions of the cessation services' effectiveness, self-efficacy regarding the ability to quit without seeking cessation services, concerns and preferences regarding practitioners' characteristics at clinics, masculine culture that discourages men from seeking cessation help, social stigma around women who use tobacco in Arab culture, and a lack of time to visit cessation clinics. Our findings address gaps in the literature regarding the individual and sociocultural barriers to seeking tobacco cessation among youth in Qatar. A better understanding of these barriers can facilitate successful promotion of tobacco cessation services and enhance cessation-seeking behaviors.

Quitline nurses' experiences in providing telephone-based smoking cessation help to mental health patients: A mixed methods study.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Quitlines are known to be effective in helping people quit smoking, including those with mental health conditions. It is particularly important to address smoking in this population as the prevalence of smoking ranges from 40% to 75%. However, professionals working in quitlines often face barriers due to their limited training and resources to effectively support these smokers quit, especially if they are not mental health professionals. Therefore, training programmes should be developed to enhance their knowledge and skills in providing smoking cessation support to this vulnerable population. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: The '061 QUIT-MENTAL study' evaluated the efficacy of a proactive telephone-based intervention for smoking cessation among smokers with severe mental health disorders. Conducted through a quitline service in Catalonia, Spain, the study focused on training non-mental health specialized nurses and other health professionals to provide evidence-based interventions for promoting smoking cessation among individuals with mental health disorders. The objective of this study is to assess the changes in nurses' knowledge and readiness to treat smokers with mental health conditions, while also capturing their insights and perceptions regarding the facilitators and barriers to providing smoking cessation interventions. The training and insights of the nurses were integral to conducting this research and providing valuable information for the future sustainability of such interventions. This is particularly important as quitlines hold the potential to offer cessation support to these patients at the community level. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: While the training programme was successful in improving non-mental health specialized nurses' knowledge and motivation skills to help patients with mental health disorders quit smoking, they encountered obstacles in delivering this intervention over the phone. These difficulties were mainly due to challenges in reaching participants and delivering the intervention as detailed in the protocol. The study highlights the need of reducing barriers for providers in attending to these patients, particularly if they are non-mental health specialized professionals. By minimizing the stigmatization associated with caring for mentally ill individuals and promoting coordination with specialists, innovative approaches may be introduced to alleviate the burden of tobacco-related diseases among this population. ABSTRACT: Introduction The viewpoint of those who implement a programme for the first time is crucial for understanding its impact and ensuring its long-term viability. The 061 QUIT-MENTAL study was a pragmatic randomized controlled trial evaluating a proactive telephone-based intervention addressed to mental health patients conducted by non-psychiatric specialized nurses. Aim We assessed nurses' knowledge of smoking cessation interventions addressed to this population before and after receiving training and their insights after delivering the intervention. Method Mixed methods study: (1) Pre-post evaluation to assess self-reported knowledge, self-efficacy and opinions about smoking cessation. (2) In-depth interviews with key nurses to ascertain their perceptions regarding the impact of the training received in delivering the study intervention. Results The training enhanced nurses' knowledge of psychological and pharmacological resources to aid these patients, as well as their ability to increasetheir motivation to quit. However, nurses reported difficulties in delivering population-based interventions to individuals with mental health disorders. These challenges primarily arose from participants being hard to reach, exhibiting low motivation to quit, struggling to comprehend instructions or follow recommendations, and nurses feeling unsure about their capacity to assist individuals with mental illnesses in quitting, despite the training they received. Discussion Despite the training and protocol designed to facilitate the delivery of the intervention, nurses faced difficulties in providing population-based interventions to individuals with mental health disorders. Implications for Practice Future quitline programmes aimed at the population with mental health disorders should strive to reduce barriers for providers in attending to these patients, particularly if they are non-mental health specialized professionals. By minimizing the stigmatization associated with caring for mentally ill individuals and promoting coordination with specialists, innovative approaches may be introduced to alleviate the burden of tobacco-related diseases among this population.

Study on the participation of nursing staff in tobacco cessation support and related influencing factors: A survey from Chongqing, China.

Nursing staff's assistance for smokers to quit smoking can increase the rate of quitting. The smoking cessation help can be affected by many factors. This study surveyed the use of the 5As (Asking, Advising, Assessing, Assisting, Arranging) approach to support smoking cessation by the nursing staff in Chongqing, China, and analyzed the corresponding influencing factors. A stratified random cluster sampling method was used to select nursing staff from 8 tertiary hospitals, 5 secondary hospitals, 12 community health centers, and 35 township health centers in different geographical regions of Chongqing. A questionnaire survey was conducted among the nursing staff to investigate their participation in smoking cessation. Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze the influencing factors of smoking cessation 5As behavior of the nursing staff. The 1669 participants were 44 males (2.6%) and 1625 females (97.4%), with an average age of 37.00 ± 10.89 years. Among the participants, 55.2% were from tertiary hospitals, 23.2% from secondary hospitals, 14.2% from township health centers, and 7.4 from community health centers. The often or always used behaviors were: Asking, 69.2%; Advising, 53.0%; Assessing, 39.5%; Assisting, 33.7%; and Arranging, 25.1%. The factors that affected all the 5As were: smoking cessation training (AOR=1.60; 95% CI: 1.22-2.11), knowledge of smoking cessation guidelines (AOR=1.75; 95% CI: 1.32-2.32) and the use of smoking cessation Apps (AOR=1.50; 95% CI: 1.09-2.06), and smokers' willingness to quit (AOR=2.20; 95% CI: 1.60-3.02). Smoker's motivation to quit smoking and nurses' knowledge of tobacco cessation resources affected nurses' participation in smoking control behavior. While encouraging smokers to quit smoking, clinical nursing staff should be provided with related resources to advocate smoking cessation. Guided by the Chinese Clinical Tobacco Cessation Guidelines, smoking control knowledge and skills training should be provided for nursing staff to increase their positive attitude towards smoking control, so as to promote their active participation.

Bladder cancer patient and provider perspectives on smoking cessation

BackgroundSmoking is the most common risk factor for bladder cancer and is associated with adverse clinical and cancer-related outcomes. Increasing understanding of the patient and provider perspectives on smoking cessation may provide insight into improving smoking cessation rates among bladder cancer survivors. We sought to inform strategies for providers promoting cessation efforts and help patients quit smoking. MethodsUsing a modified Delphi process with multidisciplinary input from bladder cancer providers, researchers, and a patient advocate, 2 surveys were created for bladder cancer patients and providers. Surveys included multiple-choice questions and free answers. The survey was administered electronically and queried participants’ perspectives on barriers and facilitators associated with smoking cessation. Survey responses were anonymous, and participants were provided with a $20 Amazon gift card for participating. Patients were approached through the previously established Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) Patient Survey Network, an online bladder cancer patient and caregiver community. Providers were recruited from the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) and the Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA). ResultsFrom May to June 2021, 308 patients and 103 providers completed their respective surveys. Among patients who quit smoking, most (64%) preferred no pharmacologic intervention (“cold turkey”) followed by nicotine replacement therapy (28%). Repeated efforts at cessation commonly occurred, and 67% reported making more than one attempt at quitting prior to eventual smoking cessation. Approximately 1 in 10 patients were unaware of the association between bladder cancer and smoking. Among providers, 75% felt that barriers to provide cessation include a lack of clinical time, adequate training, and reimbursement concerns. However, 79% of providers endorsed a willingness to receive continuing education on smoking cessation. ConclusionsBladder cancer patients utilize a variety of cessation strategies with “cold turkey” being the most used method, and many patients make multiple attempts at smoking cessation. Providers confront multiple barriers to conducting smoking cessation, including inadequate time and training in cessation methods; however, most would be willing to receive additional education. These results inform future interventions tailored to bladder cancer clinicians to better support provider efforts to provide smoking cessation counseling.

Research of prospects of involving pharmacists in ukraine to help patients trying to quit smoking

The aim. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of tobacco smoking among pharmacy workers in Ukraine, their awareness of the harmfulness of certain types of cigarettes, the attitude of pharmacy managers and pharmacists towards their colleagues’ smoking, as well as the ability of pharmacists to provide effective help in smoking cessation and assessment of prospects for the participation of pharmacists in tobacco smoking control programs if such programs are to be implemented in Ukraine.
 Materials and methods. The survey involved 239 employees of Ukrainian pharmacies under the age of 30 working in different regions. According to the geographical structure, the respondents represent 22 regions of Ukraine.
 Results. The experience of countries where active assistance to those who want to quit smoking pharmacists are involved suggests that pharmacists' support can help increase adherence to smoking cessation drugs and provide additional behavioural support as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy, which is quite effective. Currently, there are no such programs in Ukraine.
 The survey results show that Ukrainian pharmacists under the age of 30 are aware of the dangers of smoking. Most of them assess the level of their training in smoking cessation assistance as sufficient, but they only mean advice on the use of drugs in smoking cessation.
 Conclusions. Thus, in order to introduce the services of active support by pharmacists for people trying to quit smoking in Ukraine, it is required to create the necessary conditions for the interest of pharmacies and pharmacists in carrying out this type of activity and the implementation of programs of additional training in methods of active support for people trying to quit smoking

Tobacco Use: Quitting Plan, Attempts and Obstacles for Cessation- A Cross-Sectional Study from A Sub-Urban Neighbourhood of Chennai-Tamil Nadu

Introduction: Tobacco consumption is a preventable public health problem. GATS -2 survey in Tamil Nadu shows that 20% of adults use tobacco, 40% had plans to quit and 48% had made quit attempts. The purpose of the study was to assess factors associated with tobacco use; quitting plan, attempts and identify obstacles for to-bacco cessation. Methods: A Cross-sectional study was done among 300 tobacco users in a suburban neighbourhood of Chennai and data was analysed using SPSS software. Results: Ninety five percent were smokers and 86% smoked cigarettes. 70% knew that it causes cancer and res-piratory diseases. 60% planned to quit, 69% made quit attempts. Those with quit plans and health problems had an increased odds (AOR of 1.02 and 1.004 respectively) of making quit attempts. Advice from health profession-als (48%) and family (52%) triggered quit attempts. Stress and work pressure were obstacles for quitting (70%). Availability of therapy and professional help for tobacco cessation was known only to 49% and 14.7% respec-tively and none availed it. Conclusion: Awareness of health hazards of tobacco use was high. Quit attempts have increased but with high failure rates due to lack of information and access to tobacco cessation services. Provision of community and fa-cility-based tobacco cessation services and integration with existing health programmes is the present need.

E-Cigarette–Related Health Beliefs Expressed on Twitter Within the U.S.

This mixed-methods study analyzed English-language U.S.-based Twitter posts related to E-cigarette use from February 2021. Posts were manually identified as health-related or not and, if health-related, whether they were posted by an E-cigarette user. A random selection of 1,000 health-related tweets from 986 unique E-cigarette users were qualitatively content analyzed for theory of planned behavior constructs as well as nature and tone of each tweet message. Using quantitative semantic network analysis, relationships among the identified topics and sentiment-specific conversation patterns were explored. The most salient health-related conversation topics of E-cigarette users, health beliefs corresponding to each theory of planned behavior construct, and major motivational contexts of E-cigarette use were identified. Seven topics emerged in positive tweets: smoking cessation, social impact generation, controls over addiction, therapeutic effects on physical and mental health, social support, device attachment, and peer influence. Nine topics emerged in negative tweets: side effects on physical health, vaping addiction, lack of E-cigarette regulations, peer pressure, increased risk of COVID-19, side effects on mental health, no help in smoking cessation, social conflict, and polysubstance use. Most assertions for E-cigarette benefits were not substantiated. Jokes in tweets appeared to contribute to the view of vaping as an attractive, enjoyable, safe, and fun activity. Discussions about positive aspects of E-cigarette use were concentrated on a few related topics, whereas tweets discouraging E-cigarette use presented a diverse, less related set of topics. The results provide insights into the drivers of E-cigarette use behaviors. E-cigarette user perspectives gathered from social media may inform research to guide future prevention and cessation interventions.

Tobacco control is integral to global COVID-19 response: an opportunity to accelerate toward SDGs

Abstract Issue Tobacco use intersects with the COVID-19 pandemic not only in terms of health consequences, but also on public health systems, economies, and the environment. Description of the problem The global tobacco supply contributes significantly to environmental pollution of the natural ecosystems. The damage is compounded by tobacco consumption and its resultant waste, which leaves a significant carbon footprint on the environment, undermining the planet’s ecological stability and intensifying climate change. Furthermore, tobacco use exacerbates inequalities and adds burdens to COVID-19-related mortality, which are major challenges to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Results he pandemic has provided a chance to combat tobacco use and accelerate efforts to alleviate these challenges and accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The MPOWER measures from the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) can play an integral part to boost sustainable and equitable COVID-19 recovery — Monitor tobacco use (article 20); Protection from tobacco smoke (article 8); Offer help for tobacco cessation (article 14); Warn about the dangers of tobacco (article 11); Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) (article13); and Raise tobacco taxes (article 6). Lessons To accelerate recovery, it is critical to call for actions for governments and policy-makers to strengthen synergies and policy actions to emphasise tobacco control across equity, public health, climate actions, and counteract against the tobacco industry during and beyond COVID-19 as global authorities pledge to achieve the SDGs. Key messages • Global authorities must create better synergies on policies with a prime focus on reinforcing tobacco control to recover from the pandemic. • The WHO FCTC MPOWER measures can play an integral part in COVID-19 recovery to fight tobacco use and accelerate progress toward SDGs.

The influence of smoking on oral health and patient evaluation of tobacco cessation help from dentists working in the dental college of Bareilly city

Introduction: Dentists play a key role in assisting patients in quitting smoking. Dentists’ competence in smoking cessation as part of regular patient treatment is studied in this research. Methodology: Two hundred twenty-six patients were selected from the Institute of Dental Sciences Bareilly’s smoke cessation center to complete in-person cross-sectional research about previous dental visits Patients’ smoking patterns, as well as their smoking cessation experience from their dentists, and willingness for dentists to apply smoking cessation recommendations were all covered in the survey. Results: Overall, 38 percent of the subjects were current smokers, 8% were former smokers, and 68% had tried to stop smoking before. Former/non-smokers had significantly greater plaque index, gingival index, and probing depth levels than smokers (p0.05). The dentists’ approach to cessation conversations, on the other hand, was limited to a list of the negative consequences. Only 32% of patients were told about the negative impacts of tobacco, and only a third were encouraged to quit. Conclusions: Smoking causes dental health issues. Dentists in Bareilly City may inquire about their patients’ smoking habits, but they are less likely to provide actual assistance in quitting.

A Comprehensive Tobacco Control Policy Program in a Mining Industry in Indonesia: Did It Work?

BackgroundRisk factor controls, including smoking cessation and prevention, impact health costs. This study aimed to describe the Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC), one of Indonesia's largest coal mining operations, comprehensive tobacco control policy program in 2015 and its impact on smoking behavior among the employees.MethodA survey among 404 employees was conducted to assess the impact of the smoke-free KPC programs. In addition to the descriptive analysis, logistic regression was used to measure the association of intention to the smoking behavior change and the association between intention and the determinants using the Theory of Planned Behavior in 102 smokers.ResultsA series of tobacco control programs: advocacy, health education, brief interventions for smoking cessation, peer counselor training, media campaigns, and policy regulations were implemented. About 95.5% of the respondents attended the KPC Smoke-Free 2015 programs, and 97.8% reported they already knew that KPC is a total smoke-free area. Nearly 50% of the respondents expressed that the staff complied with the rules and no longer smoked in KPC. Majority of smokers (76.6%) reduced their consumption, and 5.6% of them quit smoking. Among smokers, we found that attitude toward smoking cessation, subjective norm, and perceived control for quitting were related to the intention to stop smoking.ConclusionsThe KPC smoke-free policy has been comprehensively implemented. Regulations on smoking and tobacco controls should be maintained, and monitoring should be consistently done. Media campaigns on the regulations and the availability of trained peer educators for smoking cessation help need to be applied continuously.

Tobacco cessation help in the dental healthcare setting of Turkey

Tobacco cessation help in the dental healthcare setting of Turkey

Smoking cessation help for cancer patients: Pilot project “Quitting supports treatment!” in National Institute of Oncology

Smoking cessation help for cancer patients: Pilot project “Quitting supports treatment!” in National Institute of Oncology

Smoking cessation help for cancer patients – a pilot project “Quitting Supports Treatment”

Available data suggest that up to 50% of cancer patients, who were smoking before diagnosis, continue to smoke during treatment, unaware of the damage caused due to continued tobacco use and the undervalued benefits of quitting smoking after a cancer diagnosis. Structured initiatives aimed at helping cancer patients give up smoking was undertaken at the M. Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology in Warsaw (Poland) within the pilot project “Quitting Supports Treatment (QST)”. QST was launched in September 2019 and was a joint initiative of two departments: 1. The Cancer Epidemiology and Primary Prevention Department and 2. The Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma Department. Moreover, QST works with the significant support of Department of Nurses and Midwives Professional Development. The preliminary results suggest the need for several organizational improvements in order to increase QST participation rates. Revision of previous experiences could bring valuable conclusions with regards to the effectiveness of QST, but also for other similar projects.

Are Danish vocational schools ready to implement \u201csmoke-free school hours\u201d? A qualitative study informed by the theory of organizational readiness for change

BackgroundThe smoking prevalence is high among students enrolled in vocational education and training, which is considered a lower level of education. The school tobacco policy regarding smoke-free school hours stipulates that students and staff are not allowed to smoke during school hours—inside or outside school premises—and it might be an effective intervention for reducing smoking in vocational schools. For school tobacco policies to be effective, they must be appropriately implemented. A primary predictor for successful implementation is organizational readiness for change. This study seeks to identify and understand the barriers to and facilitators for developing organizational readiness to implement smoke-free school hours in Danish vocational schools.MethodsSemi-structured interviews and focus groups were carried out with managers and teachers (n = 22 participants) from six vocational schools. The interview guides were informed by “A theory of organizational readiness for change” developed by Weiner, which was also used as a framework to analyze the data.ResultsWe identified 13 facilitators and barriers. Nine factors acted as facilitators, including the following: believing that health promotion is a school role and duty; believing that society and workplaces are becoming more smoke-free, and believing that smoke-free school hours is a beneficial strategy to achieve fewer educational interruptions. Additional facilitators include establishing clear rules for sanctioning and enforcement, developing a joint understanding about smoke-free school hours, developing skills to deal with student responses to smoke-free school hours, establishing social alternatives to smoking, offering smoking cessation help, and mandating smoke-free school hours by law. Four organizational norms, practices, or discourses acted as barriers: believing that smoke-free school hours violate personal freedom, believing that students have more important problems than smoking, believing that it is difficult to administer the level of enforcement, and believing that the enforcement of smoke-free school hours negatively influences student-teacher relations.DiscussionOur results suggest that developing organizational readiness before adopting a comprehensive tobacco policy such as smoke-free school hours is important for successful implementation. Further research should investigate how to strengthen the facilitators for and counter the barriers to developing readiness for implementing smoke-free school hours.

Safety and Efficacy of Alternative Tobacco Products in Smoking Cessation: A Scientific Review on E-cigarettes

Before visiting a doctor, using the internet & search engines regarding health-related issues became more common practice nowadays. E-cigarettes help in smoking cessation but caused switching to a new smoking habit. In teenagers’ e-cigarettes have a detrimental effect on their health and they are a threat of switching to other drugs. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautioned the public about serious lung diseases and deaths associated with vaping. Non-nicotine e-cigarettes may pump toxic chemicals & carcinogens directly into the lungs. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) may not give a feeling of active smoking so, people are switching to e-cigarettes. Nicotine causes addiction and may affect brain development. The approved NRT may have side effects but one should not forget that safety & efficacy has been evaluated and approved by the FDA for smoking cessation. It is strictly cautioned to stay away from adulterated vaping products.

Integration of an evidence-based tobacco cessation program into a substance use disorders program to enhance equity of treatment access for northern, rural, and remote communities.

Integrating tobacco cessation interventions into substance use disorder (SUD) programs is recommended, yet few are implemented into practice. This translational research implementation study was designed to integrate an evidence-based tobacco cessation intervention into a 2-week hospital outpatient SUD program that served a rural municipality and 33 remote Indigenous communities. Objectives included determining tobacco use prevalence, intervention uptake, and staffing resources required for intervention delivery. A series of 1-hr tobacco and health/well-being interactive education and behavior-change groups were developed for the SUD program to create a central access point to offer an evidence-based, intensive tobacco cessation intervention that included an initial counseling/planning session and nine post-SUD treatment follow-ups (weekly month 1; biweekly month 2; and 3, 6, and 12 months). Group sign-in data included age, gender, community, tobacco use, and interest in receiving tobacco cessation help. Thirty-two groups (April 2018 to February 2019) were attended by 105 people from 22 communities-56% were female, mean age = 30.9 (±7.3; 93% <45 years), 86% smoked, and 38% enrolled in the intensive tobacco cessation intervention. The age-standardized tobacco use ratio was two times higher than would be expected in the general rural population in the region. Average staff time to provide the intervention was 1.5-2.5 hr/week. Results showed that a Healthy Living group integrated into SUD programming provided a forum for tobacco education, behavior-change skills development, and access to an intensive tobacco cessation intervention for which enrollment was high yet the intervention could be delivered with only a few staff hours a week.

Knowledge and attitudes towards E-cigarette use in Lebanon and their associated factors

BackgroundDespite the misconceptions regarding E-cigarettes (ECs), only a few studies have been conducted in the Middle East that focused on this topic. This study assesses the knowledge of and attitudes towards ECs in Lebanon, determines how these two measures are associated, and identifies the variables that explain each of these measures.MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of Lebanese pedestrians aged between 18 and 64 inclusive. A structured self-administered questionnaire comprising of knowledge and attitude scales, and questions on demographical, health and smoking characteristics was used.ResultsScores for attitudes and knowledge of ECs were summed and dichotomized using a 75% cutoff, above which the participant was considered to have a positive attitude and good knowledge. Among the 352 participants (56.6% males, 43.3% females, mean age 30.3, 46.2% smokers), 63.3% exhibited a lower level of EC knowledge. More than 50% erroneously thought that ECs are not associated with lung and bladder cancer or impair lung and heart function. 65% falsely thought that it is harmless and not addictive. As for attitude, 43.3, 53.9, and 44.3% thought that it is socially acceptable, helps in smoking cessation, and is a good replacement for cigarettes and an enjoyable recreational device respectively. Our results revealed an inverse correlation between attitude and knowledge scores (Spearman’s correlation = −.30, p < .001). Predictors of knowledge included health-related occupation (p = .010), regular exercise (p = .016), healthy diet (p = .026), EC use (p = .026), perception that ECs are not harmful (p = .001), and help in smoking cessation (p = .017). Predictors of attitude included EC use (p = .008), sex (p = .010), and knowledge that most ECs are addictive (p = .006), harmful (p = .014), and impair heart and lung function (p = .047).ConclusionsOur study revealed a gap in EC knowledge, especially among participants who displayed a positive attitude towards ECs. Hence, measures should be undertaken to regulate its use by instituting more stringent laws and holding nationwide awareness campaigns.