%0 Journal Article
%T Population-based survey of cessation aids used by Swedish smokers
%A Lars E Rutqvist
%J Harm Reduction Journal
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1477-7517-9-38
%X A population-based, cross-sectional survey was done during November 2008 and September 2009 including 2,599 males and 3,409 females aged between 18 and 89 years. The sampling technique was random digit dialing. Data on tobacco habits and quit attempts were collected through structured telephone interviews.The proportion of ever smokers was similar among males (47%) compared to females (44%). About two thirds of them reported having stopped smoking at the time of the survey. Among the former smokers, the proportion who reported unassisted quitting was slightly lower among males (68%) compared to females (78%). Among ever smokers who reported having made assisted quit attempts, snus was the most frequently reported cessation aid among males (22%), whereas females more frequently reported counseling (8%), or pharmaceutical nicotine (gum 8%, patch 4%). Of those who reported using snus at their latest quit attempt, 81% of males and 72% of females were successful quitters compared to about 50-60% for pharmaceutical nicotine and counseling.This survey confirms and extends previous reports in showing that, although most smokers who have quit did so unassisted, snus continues to be the most frequently reported cessation aid among male smokers, whereas usage of pharmaceutical nicotine was more prevalent among females. Use of snus at the latest quit attempt appeared to be associated with a higher success rate among both males and females than other reported methods, although statistically significant differences were mainly observed among males.Most smokers who quit typically do so unassisted [1,2]. In many countries there is also a widespread use of various cessation aids. The efficacy of several pharmaceutical products has been documented to increase quit rates in controlled clinical trials [3,4], but their effect on a population level appears more modest in relation to the total number of excess deaths due to smoking each year [5]. In Scandinavia, population surveys have in
%K Smoking cessation
%K Snus
%K Nicotine replacement therapy
%K Survey
%K Cross-sectional
%K Population-based
%U http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/9/1/38