WATCH: Research from the University of Waterloo finds that smartphones may be effective in helping young people, including those in Nova Scotia, quit smoking. Julia Wong reports.
HALIFAX – Social media is being touted as an effective way to help young people, including young Nova Scotians, stop smoking.
University of Waterloo scientists say that young Canadians who used social media and apps aimed at helping smokers quit are twice as successful in kicking their habit compared to their peers who relied on telephone-counselling and other tools.
The paper, published in the Journal of Nicotine and Tobacco Research, finds 32.4 per cent of 19- to 29-year olds who use social media tools quit smoking compared to 14 per cent of those who use a traditional helpline. The data also finds 91 per cent of social media users are likely to attempt to quit, compared to 79 per cent of those using a traditional helpline.
“These findings suggest that the creators of public health campaigns need to evaluate how they use social media channels and social networks to improve health, especially with regards to younger demographics,” lead researcher Dr. Bruce Baskerville said.
“They can access support right on the spot as compared to having to make a phone call. I think we have to adapt to the times and we do see older adults making use of this technology as well so we could be seeing some changes in how we reach people,” he told Global News.
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Break It Off app examined
The research was based on the Canadian Cancer Society’s Break It Off app. The app keeps track of how many days users have gone without smoking, how much money they’ve saved in the process, and even helps users pay attention to parts of the day when they’re most vulnerable. Instead of picking up the phone to talk to a counsellor, they can text in real time with an expert on the app.
Kelly Cull, the manager of government and partner relations for the Nova Scotia chapter of the Canadian Cancer Society, said the Break It Off campaign is geared to young people.
“It think it’s really about meeting young people where they’re at,” she said. “Programs, like the smoker’s helpline for example, are much more successful for older demographics — people who are more comfortable receiving counseling and peer support over the phone.”
“Whereas we know young people are primarily online, they live on Twitter, they live on Facebook and they live on YouTube. The elements that are required to make a social media campaign successful is really understanding that demographic and reaching them where they are at.”
Trying to kick the habit
Lucas Dunham, 22, started smoking when he was 10 years old. He tried many times to snuff out the habit and most recently quit last December.
“I took prescription drugs to quit smoking. I used a hotline. Nothing really seemed to work. Finally I just said I don’t want to smoke anymore. I don’t want to kill myself so I just quit cold turkey,” he said.
While he didn’t use social media to quit smoking, Dunham said anything that can help a young person stamp out the habit is a good thing.
“If it helps you, with social media, your friends and apps, I think it’s great but I think it all depends on the type of person,” he said.
“If you’re trying to stop smoking, you really have to have the want to quit smoking.”
It’s a sentiment shared by Debi Upshaw, who has been smoking for 28 years. She has tried various programs to stop her habit but is determined to stop for good.
“It’s an awful circle. It just keeps on going around,” she said.
“I have six grandchildren and I want to be alive for them. I don’t want cigarettes to kill me.”
Upshaw said she isn’t surprised by the findings that social media is helpful in smoking cessation, but she adds that there needs to be an inherent desire to quit as well.
“If somebody wants to quit, the person themselves has to really want to quit or it’s not going to work.”
Cull said the Break It Off app is successful because it is interactive.
“It wasn’t just about a quit coach working with you support you through that journey. It was about peers supporting peers so you meet people online, they connect, collaborate and they connect, encourage and support each other.”
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