Most cigarette smokers try to quit without evidence-based techniques

More than half of cigarette smokers have received advice to quit from a health care professional, but less than a third used medication or counselling in their cessation attempt, according to investigators.

In 2015, just over 57 percent of adult smokers said a health care professional had advised them to quit in the past year. Of those who tried to quit, 29 percent used medication such as nicotine patches or gum, varenicline or buppropoin; seven percent used counselling (including a stop-smoking clinic, class, or support group and a telephone help line); and 31 percent used counselling and/or medication, the investigators reported.

Data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey show that cigarette smokers who were white (60 percent) or of multiple races (70 percent) were the most likely to have a health professional tell them to quit, while Asians (34 percent) and American Indians/ Alaska natives (38 percent) were the least likely.

Whites were most likely to use counselling and/ or medication (34 percent), and Hispanic were least likely (19 percent), although the rate for American Indians / Alaska Natives was not reported because of a small sample size or large margin of error, they noted.

With the overall cessation rate at less than 10 percent, it is critical for health care providers to consistently identify smokers, advise them to quit, and offer evidence-based cessation treatments, and for insurers to cover and promote the use of these treatments and remove barriers to accessing them.