Introduction
No one should smoke cigarettes, and every attempt should be made to help individuals give up all tobacco products and to stop anyone from starting to use any tobacco products, especially young people. It is highly recommended that smokers employ evidence-based cessation techniques, such as counseling and prescription medication, to end their smoking.
What Are the Traditional Methods of Tobacco Cessation Programs?
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Television: In the field of tobacco control, television commercials have been one of the most often utilized and assessed media outlets. The bulk of the research on QL (qualified lead) marketing has been done on television, and the research indicates a substantial correlation between QL call volume and the amount of television advertising.
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Radio: The campaigns that used a variety of media venues included radio advertising. Hence, no pertinent individual studies were included in this evaluation. These research goals prioritize contrasting or enhancing print and/or television advertising.
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Print: The most common usage of print ads is in conjunction with mass media campaigns that include radio, television, and outdoor advertising. The results of newspaper advertising were reported by two researchers. In addition, smokers may be less likely to report print advertisements as their primary source of referral to a QL when compared to other media (8 % of smokers who were aware of a QL program learned about it from a print ad, compared with 62 % from television, 19 % from word of mouth, and 14 % from radio). Some scientists have found a slight correlation between the volume of QL calls and newspaper advertising.
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Direct Mailing: Postcards are sent to different households with smokers. While free nicotine patches from the Smokers' QL were promoted on every postcard, half of them also included derogatory language. 3.7 % of those who were exposed to this advertising called the helpline within 15 days of the mailing.
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Free Medicines for Quitting: Free smoking cessation drugs are a common advertising tactic used by state QLs.
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Case Studies: Case studies were categorized during this evaluation together with other published and publicly accessible information. But the information that was supplied was quite limited.
What Are the Innovative Methods of Tobacco Cessation Programs?
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Online:
Websites, banner adverts, and search engine keyword ads are examples of online promotions used by QLs.
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In comparison to callers who reached the quitline through other sources, online ads referred to a greater percentage of young adults (aged 18 to 24), those with a high school diploma or less, those who had not yet quit smoking, and those who smoked within 30 minutes of waking up.
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In one study, the recruitment of smokers to an online-only, phone-only, or Web-and phone-only cessation program was compared to traditional and online ads.
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Online advertising mostly consisted of paid search engine ads that were purchased by the click and banner ads that were displayed on regional and national websites.
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Some search engine phrases, such as "quit smoking," brought up adverts. Only users of the search engine in particular regions saw relevant adverts.
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During the same period, comparable advertisements ran in conventional media as well.
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Social Media:
Since social media has turned into an important part of today’s population, it plays a vital role in promoting tobacco cessation. It has acted as an asset to educate the population about the chronology that could lead to the future.
What Are the Other Innovative Methods Used?
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Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT): Combining a nicotine patch with a lozenge or gum is the most popular option.
Methods of using two NRTs together:
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To obtain a consistent nicotine dose that will lessen the cravings and withdrawal symptoms throughout the day, apply a fresh patch every morning.
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To rapidly quell cravings, take a fast-acting nicotine medication, such as gum or lozenges.
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Smokers will not receive more nicotine than they desire because they can regulate how frequently they take the fast-acting medication.
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Using this combo is simple. Compared to using one medication, utilizing two NRTs together can increase the chances of success while quitting.
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Non-nicotine Medicines: Varenicline is an effective cessation aid. One medication that functions differently from other medications is Vannicline. Nicotine is not present in it. It functions by adhering to the same brain regions that nicotine stimulates. Because the varenicline is already there, the nicotine from cigarettes has fewer locations to connect. This makes the "buzz" from nicotine less likely.
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Many smokers go up cold turkey—that is, they stop entirely, all at once, without the use of medication or nicotine replacement therapy. Smokers may hear that more people give up on their addictions without help than with support. It's accurate, but it also takes into account the fact that a lot more people choose to do the cold turkey route. In fact, using help increases the likelihood of a successful stop attempt significantly.
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Reducing the tar and nicotine content of cigarettes does not aid in quitting smoking or lessen the health hazards associated with it.
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Alternative strategies for quitting smoking have been tried, including vitamin combos, stop-smoking meals that reduce nicotine cravings, and over-the-counter medications that mask the flavor of tobacco. There is currently no scientific proof that any of these are effective.
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E-cigarette: The FDA (The Food and Drug Administration) has not approved e-cigarettes or other comparable devices as assistance in quitting smoking. This is a result of the lack of sufficient data or research to date.
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Hypnosis: The wide range of hypnosis techniques makes it challenging to research as a smoking cessation strategy. Reviews examining controlled trials using hypnosis as a smoking cessation aid have generally not concluded that the technique is effective. Nonetheless, others claim that it is beneficial. Ask a doctor for a recommendation from a reputable, licensed hypnotherapist if they would like to give it a try.
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Acupuncture: There is not much proof to support the effectiveness of this smoking cessation technique despite its use. Typically, specific areas of the ears are used for smoking-related acupuncture.
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Magnet Therapy: Two tiny magnets are placed in a specific location on either side of the ear, opposite each other, as part of magnet treatment to help people stop smoking. They are held there by magnetism. So far, there is no scientific proof that magnet therapy aids in smoking cessation. These magnets are sold by numerous online retailers, all of which give different "success" rates. However, there is no clinical study evidence to support these assertions.
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Cold Laser Therapy: This is associated with acupuncture and is also known as low-level laser therapy. This technique substitutes cold lasers for acupuncture needles. There is no scientific proof that cold laser therapy helps smokers quit smoking, despite some providers' claims of success.
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Mind-body Practices: Studies on yoga, mindfulness, and meditation-based smoking cessation programs have been conducted. While the results did not always support these strategies, some did indicate reduced smoking and cravings. These techniques are currently being studied, and further research is required. Additionally being researched are cognitive processing techniques (cognitive-behavioral approaches).
Conclusion
It is difficult to discern the effect of traditional media as an independent QL (Quitline) promotion intervention because it was only examined inside mass media campaigns, where TV commercials consistently increased calls to quitlines. While many QL services are present on social media platforms, there is a paucity of research assessing the efficacy of these channels for quitline promotion in the context of creative media.
