In an effort to increase access to evidence-based smoking cessation therapies, regional tobacco control programs in New York State implemented different interventions to make free nicotine patches and gum available to smokers wishing to quit. In one region, eligible smokers were sent a voucher redeemable at a local pharmacy for a 2-week supply of either nicotine patches or gum. In other regions, smokers received either a 1-week supply or a 2-week supply of nicotine patches sent to their home. In New York City, eligible smokers received a 6-week supply of nicotine patches and a follow-up phone call. All of the programs utilized the state's Smokers' Quitline to screen and register eligible smokers for the free medication. The reach of the different programs was evaluated by computing the proportion of eligible smokers within a given area enrolled in the program and tracking call volume to the Quitline before, during, and after the free giveaway promotions. Efficacy was evaluated by a telephone follow-up survey of program participants conducted 4 months after enrollment to measure use of the medications and smoking behavior. The quit rate of program participants was contrasted with the quit rate computed from an earlier follow-up survey of Quitline callers who were not provided nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Free nicotine patches or gum was sent to 40,090 smokers representing about 2.9 percent of eligible heavy smokers (10+ cigarettes per day) in the state. In each time period and location where free NRT was offered, call volume to the Quitline increased dramatically. Quit rates varied in relationship to the supply of NRT sent to participants, but in all cases was higher than the quit rate observed among smokers not sent NRT (21%-35% vs 12%). The offer of free NRT appears to be a cost-effective method to induce large numbers of smokers to make a quit attempt.

These findings suggest knowledge deficits and misperceptions about HPV risk as potential themes for educational campaigns encouraging the greater use of the preventive HPV vaccine among this subgroup.

Background Few studies have examined the patterns and correlates of polytobacco use among a large, nationally representative population over an extended period of time. Methods This study examined 10 years of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) to establish time trends and correlates for exclusive and mixed use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco (SLT), cigars, and pipes. Results Results show that rates of polytobacco use were essentially unchanged from 2002–2011 (8.7% to 7.4%), though some product combinations, including cigarettes and SLT, cigars and SLT, and use of more than two products have increased. In tobacco users under age 26, the proportion of polytobacco use increased, even as overall tobacco use declined. The factors associated with polytobacco use among tobacco users included sex, income, education, risk taking/seeking behaviors, and outward indicators of ‘risk-liability’. Conclusions Findings provide a snapshot of trends of single and polytobacco product use as well as trends in combinations of product use. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine the sequence of individual patterns of tobacco product use and to identify whether polytobacco use results in greater nicotine dependence, increased exposure to harmful and potentially harmful constituents and/or greater risk of tobacco related disease.

Aim To evaluate the population effectiveness of stop-smoking medications while accounting for potential recall bias by controlling for quit attempt recency. Design Prospective cohort survey. Setting United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and the United States. Participants 7,436 adult smokers (18+ years), selected via random digit dialling and interviewed as part of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey (ITC-4) between 2002 and 2009. Primary analyses utilized the subset of respondents who participated in 2006 or later (N = 2,550). Measurements Continuous abstinence from smoking for one month/six months. Findings Among participants who recalled making a quit attempt within one month of interview, those who reported using varenicline, bupropion, or the nicotine patch were more likely to maintain six-month continuous abstinence from smoking compared to those who attempted to quit without medication (adjusted OR (95% CI): 5.84 (2.12 – 16.12), 3.94 (0.87 – 17.80), 4.09 (1.72 – 9.74), respectively); there were no clear effects for oral NRT use. Those who did not use any medication when attempting to quit tended to be younger, to be racial/ethnic minorities, to have lower incomes, and to believe that medications do not make quitting easier. Conclusions Consistent with evidence from randomized controlled trials, smokers in the UK, Canada, Australia, and the US are more likely to succeed in quit attempts if they use varenicline, bupropion or nicotine patch. Previous population studies that failed to find an effect failed to adjust adequately for important sources of bias.