A major new review of evidence by a team of scientists, including a University of Massachusetts Amherst public health researcher, has identified the three best strategies for quitting smoking:
The review, published Sept. 4 in the journal Addiction , was conducted by the non-profit Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group (CTAG) and led by senior author Jamie Hartmann-Boyce , assistant professor of health policy and management in the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences , and lead author Jonathan Livingstone-Banks , a University of Oxford researcher in England.
Worldwide, smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death , resulting in more than seven million deaths per year. “For people who smoke cigarettes, the single best thing they can do for their health is to quit smoking,” says Hartmann-Boyce, a Cochrane editor who conducted research at Oxford before joining UMass Amherst. “However, many people find it difficult to do so. Fortunately, there is strong evidence to support the use of a number of different ways to quit smoking.”
The three top strategies for quitting work best when combined with behavioral support, such as counseling, the review states. Bupropion and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) are also effective, especially NRT patches combined with fast-acting forms like gum. “For behavioral support, evidence is strongest for counseling and for programs that reward people for stopping smoking,” Hartmann-Boyce adds.
CTAG’s new summary outlines the key findings from 14 Cochrane reviews that CTAG published between 2021 and 2023. Three Cochrane reviews included in this summary are particularly noteworthy:
“Our team will continue to review evidence on the best ways to help people quit smoking, as we know how vitally important this is to people who smoke and to public health,” Hartmann-Boyce says.
Addiction
Literature review
People
Effects of interventions to combat tobacco addiction: Cochrane update of 2021 to 2023 reviews
5-Sep-2024
The authors declare no con- flicts of interest.