Effectiveness of smoking reduction intervention for hardcore smokers

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Addiction Medicine
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Hardcore smokers, defined by high consumption and no quit intention, are a challenging demographic for cessation.
• Previous smoking cessation trials have not specifically evaluated interventions for hardcore smokers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effectiveness of a smoking reduction intervention for hardcore smokers.
• To explore factors influencing intervention success in this population.

Main Methods:

• An a posteriori analysis of a randomized controlled trial involving 1,154 smokers unwilling to quit.
• Examined 7-day point prevalence of abstinence, smoking reduction (≥50%), and quit attempts at 6-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Hardcore smokers showed a higher odds ratio (4.18) for quitting with the intervention compared to non-hardcore smokers (1.58).
• The number needed to treat was lower for hardcore smokers (8.33) than non-hardcore smokers (16.67).
• Smokers without prior quit attempts benefited more from the intervention (OR=3.29) than those smoking >15 cigarettes daily (OR=1.36).

Conclusions:

• Smoking reduction interventions show potential efficacy in aiding hardcore smokers to quit and reduce consumption.
• Lack of previous quit attempt experience is a stronger predictor of intervention success than high daily cigarette consumption.