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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2014 Mar-Apr;20(2):E7-E15.
doi: 10.1097/PHH.0b013e3182a0b8c7.

Effect of nicotine replacement therapy on quitting by young adults in a trial comparing cessation services

David B Buller  1 , Abigail Halperin, Herbert H Severson, Ron Borland, Michael D Slater, Erwin P Bettinghaus, David Tinkelman, Gary R Cutter, William Gill Woodall
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of nicotine replacement therapy on quitting by young adults in a trial comparing cessation services

David B Buller et al. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2014 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Context: Young adult smokers have the highest smoking prevalence among all US age groups but are least likely to use evidence-based cessation counseling or medication to quit.

Objective: Use and effectiveness of nicotine patch were explored in a randomized trial evaluating smoking cessation interventions with this population.

Participants: Smokers aged 18 to 30 (n = 3094) were recruited through online and off-line methods and from telephone quit lines and analyzed.

Design: Smokers were enrolled in a pretest-posttest trial, and randomized to 1 of 3 cessation services.

Setting: Trial delivering counseling services by self-help booklet, telephone quit lines, or online expert system in the 48 continental United States.

Intervention: Smokers could request a free 2-week course of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches from the project.

Main outcome measure: Follow-up surveys at 12 and 26 weeks assessed smoking abstinence, use of NRT, counseling, and other cessation medications, and smoking-related variables.

Results: Overall, 69.0% of smokers reported using NRT (M = 3.2 weeks) at 12 weeks and 74.8% (M = 3.3 weeks) at 26 weeks. More smokers who were sent the free nicotine patches (n = 1695; 54.8%) reported using NRT than those who did not receive them (12 weeks: 84.3% vs 41.9%, P < .001; 26 weeks: 87.6% vs 51.1%, P < .001). The use of NRT was associated with greater smoking abstinence at 12 weeks (P < .001) and 26 weeks (P < .05), especially if used for more than 2 weeks (P < .001). Smokers assigned to a self-help booklet or cessation Web site and heavier smokers were most likely to use NRT (P < .05), whereas those reporting marijuana use and binge drinking used NRT less (P < .05).

Conclusions: Many young adults were willing to try NRT, and it appeared to help them quit in the context of community-based cessation services. Strategies should be developed to make NRT available to this age group and support them in using it to prevent lifelong smoking.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: David Buller is employed by Klein Buendel, Inc., a for-profit health communication research firm and Klein Buendel, Inc. is owned by Dr. Buller's spouse.

Abigail Halperin has no conflicts of interest.

Herbert Severson has no conflicts of interest.

Ron Borland has no conflicts of interest.

Michael D. Slater has no conflicts of interest.

Erwin P. Bettinghaus is employed by Klein Buendel, Inc., a for-profit health communication research firm, and is a member of the Board of Directors for Klein Buendel, Inc.

David Tinkelman has no conflicts of interest.

Gary Cutter participated on data and safety monitoring committees for the following organizations focusing on medical research: Apotek ,Biogen-Idec,Cleveland Clinic,Glaxo Smith Klein Pharmaceuticals,Gilead Pharmaceuticals, Modigenetech/Prolor, Merck/Ono Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Neuren, Revalesio, Sanofi-Aventis, Teva, Vivus, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (Protocol Review Committee), National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and National Institute on Child Health and Development (OPRU oversight committee). He has consulted, received speaking fees, or served on advisory boards for the following organizations: Alexion, Allozyne, Bayer, Celgene, Coronado Biosciences, Consortium of MS Centers (grant), Diogenix, Klein-Buendel Incorporated, Medimmune, Novartis, Nuron Biotech, Receptos, Spiniflex Pharmaceuticals, Teva pharmaceuticals. He is employed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and President of Pythagoras, Inc. a private consulting company located in Birmingham AL.

W. Gill Woodall has no conflicts of interest.

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