RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Intentions of smokers to use free nicotine replacement therapy
JF Canadian Medical Association Journal
JO CMAJ
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 145
OP 146
DO 10.1503/cmaj.071241
VO 179
IS 2
A1 Cunningham, John A.
A1 Selby, Peter L.
YR 2008
UL http://www.cmaj.ca/content/179/2/145.abstract
AB Public health initiatives to distribute nicotine replacement therapy free of charge as a means of promoting smoking cessation are ongoing. Are there enough smokers interested in using nicotine replacement therapy to have a substantial impact on the prevalence of smoking if this aid were distributed free to all interested smokers? We conducted a telephone survey of 825 randomly selected daily smokers aged 18 years or older who had smoked at least 10 cigarettes per day at some point in their lives. Overall, 58.9% of the respondents said they would be interested in nicotine replacement therapy if it were offered for free. Of those interested, almost all (93.8%) said that they would use the nicotine replacement therapy to help them quit for good. There were differences in the levels of interest: smokers who intended to quit were more interested in using the nicotine replacement therapy than those who planned to reduce or maintain their smoking.