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Smoking cessation in Scotland: contact with Smokeline and quit attempts made with Scottish smoking cessation services
Kerry McKenzie, Health Improvement Programme Manager (Tobacco), NHS Health Scotland, UK
Abstract
Smokeline is the national stop smoking helpline service where callers can obtain advice, support and information on ways to stop smoking and on the local NHS stop smoking services available to them. Data on quit attempts made with Scottish NHS smoking cessation services are collected via the National Smoking Cessation Database. Patterns of demand for Smokeline services and quit attempts made with Scottish smoking cessation services in 2006 and 2007 were analysed. An increase in demand for Smokeline advisor contact was recorded in the period running up to the introduction of smoke-free legislation (26 March 2006) and peaking in March, then decreasing from April that year onwards.
The pattern of demand for Smokeline advisor contact following the introduction of legislation has returned to that of previous years. A similar peak in the number of quit attempts made in March 2006 was observed and also a subsequent decrease in quit attempts made from April that year onwards but an increase observed in latter part of 2007 compared with same period in 2006. The pattern recorded suggests that smokers in Scotland were preparing to quit, by approaching the helpline service and local services, in advance of the introduction of smokefree legislation in Scotland.
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