New Stage-based Smoking Cessation Resources

Many health professions are interested in helping smokers to quit
smoking. However, they are challenged by having limited time and limited
approaches to help smokers in all stages of readiness to quit smoking.
For example, recent Canadian research shows that 54% of smokers have no
intention to change, while 34% are seriously considering change within
the next six months (the Precontemplation and Contemplation Stages of
Change respectively). Only 12% intend to change within the next month
(the Preparation stage). In addition, very few programs are designed to
motivate and assist smokers in all three stages, and fewer are
low-contact interventions (that is, programs that don't require
significant staff interaction). Fortunately, a recent inter-sectoral
partnership may help health professionals to meet these challenges.

You may be aware that Novartis Consumer Health Inc., Canada (makers of
the Habitrol® patch) are working together with the Canadian Cancer
Society, the Canadian Pharmacists' Association and Mediconsult.com Inc.
(an Internet health-information site) to offer resources that public
health and other health professionals can use for smoking cessation
programming.

The system, which started in June, is called the Habitrol® Stop Smoking
System and focuses on providing behavioural support for quitting
smoking. French language versions of some materials are currently
available, while others will be available later this year. The support
system is free for both health professionals and consumers (no purchase
is necessary) and includes:

        (a) Internet: The world's first interactive stage-based smoking
cessation support program on the Internet <www.habitrol.com>. The site,
called the "Habitrol® Road To Success," offers personalized feedback and
access to a Quitting Buddy and to the Mediconsult.com
professionally-monitored Smoking Cessation Support Group
<www.mediconsult.com/medbin/news?smoking-1>. In 1999, both health
professionals and significant others can also find information and
advice on the sites.

        (b) Telephone: A toll-free smoking-cessation support line
(1-888-227-5777) is available from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm (Eastern time)
Monday to Friday. Smokers (or health professionals) can talk to a
bilingual nurse or pharmacist trained in brief stage-based intervention.
Callers can get advice, support, and answers to questions about smoking
cessation (including other methods of quitting).

	

        (c) Print: Self-help print materials (such as the "How To Quit
Successfully" pamphlet and the Canadian Cancer Society booklets "If you
are a man/woman who wants to quit smoking..."). Individual copies are
available by calling the support line.

        (d) Professional Education: Educational materials for physicians
and pharmacists are available also by calling the support line. These
include a stage-based wall chart, and counseling and resource guides.

The Habitrol Stop Smoking System is being evaluated by Dr. Paul McDonald
in a randomized control trial in the workplace setting. There are,
however, many immediate indicators of the program's success. Between
June 4, 1998 and mid-September there were over 14,000 visits to the
www.habitrol.com web site, and 765 registered users (smokers in
Preparation or later using the program to help them quit). In addition,
users call the Internet program and the support group "the best
resources available today on the Internet to quit smoking." Many members
of the support group say that reading the messages and posting to the
group has prevented them from slipping or relapsing.

Consultation for the Stages of Change approach (formally called the
Transtheoretical Model of behaviour change) and the smoking cessation
content of the system was provided by Grant Corbett and myself. We
agreed to provide consultation to this project for three reasons. First,
consumers do not have to buy the product to use the services, and the
system focuses on behaviour change rather than on the Habitrol® patch.
Second, this was an opportunity to create a publicly-accessible Internet
resource similar to Prochaska's "Expert System" (which is one of the
most effective smoking cessation programs in the world, but is
proprietary). Third, the Habitrol® Stop Smoking System is comprehensive,
and includes print materials and telephone support for both consumers
and health professionals. 

I hope that if you had not yet heard of this system that you will take a
few moments to become familiar with what it has to offer. If you have
any questions about the content, you can contact me at Behaviour Change
Solutions ([log in to unmask]). In addition, please pass this
information along to other health professionals who may be interested.

Best regards,

Tracey E. Taylor
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Tracey E. Taylor, M.A.Sc.
Partner, Behaviour Change Solutions
29 Wendy Cres., Kitchener, ON  N2A 3T5
Ph: (519) 895-2957
e-mail: [log in to unmask]  or  
           [log in to unmask]
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