Challenges Related to Overcoming Addiction: Assessing Motivation and Readiness to Quit or Reduce Cigarette Smoking

The life expectancy of a cigarette smoker is reduced by an average of 10 years as a result of smoking, although this effect may be mitigated by timely cessation. It has been proven that smoking cessation is beneficial to health regardless of comorbidities and age. The objective of this study was to analyse and assess the motivation and readiness to quit or reduce smoking among conventional cigarette smokers in Poland.

A representative cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured telephone survey method CATI where interviewers followed a customized script provided by a software application. The survey involved a representative sample of 5000 inhabitants of Poland aged 18 years and older. The primary data was collected between March and May 2022 by the research company in cooperation with the Medical University of Warsaw. Respondents were classified into groups based on their answers to questions regarding their age, gender, and geographical location.

Almost a quarter of conventional cigarette smokers who have ever tried to cease smoking reported to have made such an attempt in the past 12 months. The proportion of individuals who attempted to quit smoking decreased with age. The most significant challenges to quitting smoking among respondents surveyed, irrespective of age group, included being around smokers at work or home, fear of not being able to cope with a stressful situation, discouragement after previous unsuccessful attempts or fear of weight gain. Concern for personal health was the predominant factor motivating individuals with a history of daily smoking to successfully discontinue conventional cigarettes. For those who had smoked conventional cigarettes daily for less than 1 year, the odds of reducing or quitting was significantly higher than among those who had smoked for 10 years or longer.

The formulation of effective anti-nicotine policies must consider the realities and challenges encountered by individuals addicted to nicotine. It is therefore important to understand the nature of addiction, the characteristics of smokers and ex-smokers, and to search for effective methods of treating nicotine addiction. In addition to education and health promotion, Poland's tobacco control policy should include multi-sectoral interventions aimed at those who are already addicted.