Every try counts: collaborating to motivate smokers to keep trying to quit

Background and challenges to implementation Research has shown that increasing the frequency of quit attempts, shortens the time to achieving cessation. However, smokers often take months or years between quit attempts, and few resources are available to improve engagement in quit attempts among uncommitted smokers. Intervention or response With this in mind, the U.S. FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) collaborated to develop Every Try Counts. This national education and intervention campaign uses gain-framed messaging to increase motivation to make quit attempts among smokers who have recently been unsuccessful at quitting and are ambivalent about trying again. To reach the audience, Every Try Counts utilizes paid media tactics in and around the point-of-sale environment to (1) reframe quitting as a process in which progress is made regardless of outcome and (2) to decrease the time between quit attempts by encouraging “practicing the quit” without commitment to long-term cessation. CTP developed the campaign strategy and completed extensive formative testing on motivational enhancement messaging. NCI lead development and adaptation of digital tools to engage populations with various readiness to attempt to quit. Campaign resources include a mobile-optimized website featuring resources to help users develop confidence, skills, and behavioral momentum toward quit attempts, such as text message programs, daily challenges, a smartphone app, real-time online chat with a cessation coach, links to quitlines, and information normalizing slips during the quit process. Results and lessons learnt CTP will launch an evaluation of Every Try Counts in conjunction with the campaign in early 2018. Initial data of receptivity, information-seeking, and metrics of use patterns will be presented. Conclusions and key recommendations This case study provides an opportunity to learn about the potential benefits and challenges of large-scale, inter-agency collaborations on cessation campaigns, especially of those targeting unique tobacco use populations.

Abstract licence: CC BY-ND

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