Efficacy Of Education And Advice Delivered By Text Message To Aid Smoking Cessation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$538,395.00
Summary
A high proportion of smokers indicate a desire to stop smoking and report having made attempts to quit. However, most attempts are not successful and new methods are needed to support motivated smokers and improve success rates. This project evaluates the use of text messages to deliver advice and support to smokers motivated to stop smoking. We aim to understand if and how this promosing new intervention helps smokers to quit.
The Natural History Of Unassisted Smoking Cessation In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$329,595.00
Summary
The majority of ex-smokers who successfully quit have done so without using pharmaceutical or counselling support. This study will produce pioneering insights into how and why so many smokers successfully quit without formal assistance. The findings will be conveyed to government, not-for-profit groups, and tobacco cessation professionals in order to help foster favourable social climates for smoking cessation and construct empowering messages about smoking cessation via self-change strategies.
An Open-label Randomised Pragmatic Policy Trial Of Nicotine Products For Short-term Cessation Assistance Or Long-term Substitution In Smokers.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,053,910.00
Summary
Many smokers who try to quit fail in their attempt. Medicinal nicotine is currently only used as a short-term quit aid. This trial will test if offering smokers the option of using these products as long-term substitutes for cigarettes will help more smokers to successfully quit. We will also determine if offering smokers low toxicity smokeless tobacco and electronic nicotine devices in addition to medicinal nicotine products further increases the number of smokers who quit successfully.
Adding An Electronic-cigarette To Standard Behavioural Treatment For Low-socioeconomic Status Smokers: A Randomised Trial.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,381,127.00
Summary
Behavioural and pharmacological approaches to smoking cessation are effective at helping people to quit but long-term quit rates remain low, especially among low-SES Australians. The electronic cigarette may complement current treatment approaches. We will conduct a large-scale trial to determine if “e-cigarettes” can improve on the efficacy of existing treatments. The findings would have immediate practical implications that could reduce the preventable deaths of many tobacco smokers.
Quitlink: Accessible Smoking Cessation Support For People Living With Severe And Enduring Mental Illness
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,141,189.00
Summary
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in people with severe mental illness (SMI). Although smokers with SMI want to quit, tailored interventions are rarely delivered in practice. Quitlines are well placed but underutilised by this group. “Quitlink” will utilise peer workers within mental health services to engage smokers with SMI in a tailored Quitline intervention. We will also qualitatively examine facilitators and barriers to cessation in order to improve future interventions.
Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Financial Counselling Intervention And Smoking Cessation Assistance To Reduce Smoking In Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Groups
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,029,662.00
Summary
Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are more likely to smoke than other sectors of the community. This difference has been attributed, in part, to increased rates of relapse. Relapse is strongly and consistently predicted by financial stress. This project attempts to reduce relapse by reducing financial stress among disadvantaged smokers through the provision of financial counselling as an adjunct to NRT.
Community Action For Smoking Cessation In Remote Aboriginal Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,162,650.00
Summary
Smoking rates halved in Australia over the past 30 years to below 20% in 2004. However, Indigenous Australians continued to smoke at more than double this rate. In remote Aboriginal communities in the NT's 'Top End', over two-thirds of the population smoke. Smoking tobacco causes the greatest burden of disease for Australians generally. For Indigenous Australians, it is the single most important reversible risk factor for morbidity and premature mortality. With no sign of reduction in smoking le ....Smoking rates halved in Australia over the past 30 years to below 20% in 2004. However, Indigenous Australians continued to smoke at more than double this rate. In remote Aboriginal communities in the NT's 'Top End', over two-thirds of the population smoke. Smoking tobacco causes the greatest burden of disease for Australians generally. For Indigenous Australians, it is the single most important reversible risk factor for morbidity and premature mortality. With no sign of reduction in smoking levels, Indigenous Australians remain at greater risk of hospitalisations or death from many tobacco-related illnesses. Smoking in Australia was reduced through individually-oriented measures, public education and supply control. These strategies have either not been tried or have not been adequately studied in Aboriginal communities. Effective interventions could provide major health gains for Aboriginal Australians and reduce health costs. The intervention we propose will be based on an agreement whereby four remote communities in the 'Top End' will make a pact with the researchers to jointly try to reduce tobacco smoking using community-wide mobilisation, training and education. The intervention with have multiple components. We will not evaluate each component separately. The effect of the whole intervention on smoking will be assessed. Tobacco sales for the whole community in these small isolated localities, a sensitive and reliable measure, should decline if the intervention works. Tobacco smokers will be assessed before the intervention in each community and followed up twice to assess quit rates. Quit rates should go up. Five years are needed for the study because smoking behaviour change does not happen quickly or at peoples' first attempt. With staggered implementation of the intervention, i.e. not starting in all communities at once, reductions in smoking in more than one community will make us confident that the intervention worked.Read moreRead less
Evaluating The Efficacy Of An Integrated Smoking Cessation Intervention For Mental Health Patients: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,442,270.00
Summary
Smoking rates are 2 to 4 times higher among people with a mental illness than among the general population. There is an imperative to identify effective cessation interventions that can be systematically provided to smokers with a mental illness. The aim of this project is to undertake a rigorous test of the efficacy of a smoking cessation intervention for smokers with mental illness; where intervention commences in the hospital inpatient setting and extended support continues post-discharge.
Role For Zinc And ZIP2 In The Action Of Nitric Oxide And In Vascular Protection Against Cigarette Smoke And Cardiovascular Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$685,941.00
Summary
The NO/cGMP signalling pathway, which is central to cardiovascular physiology and protection against disease, is only fully effective when there are adequate levels of zinc in the vascular endothelium. This is especially important where zinc stores are depleted (elderly, smokers, diabetics and kidney disease). There is an urgent clinical need to implement strategies to monitor vascular Zn status. This application will explore the underlying science and translate these to the clinic.
Interleukin-17A Promotes Cigarette Smoke-induced Lung Inflammation And Damage
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$650,590.00
Summary
Emphysema is a major global health problem and has been predicted to become the third largest cause of death in the world by 2020. Cigarette smoking is the major cause of emphysema and accounts for more than 95% of cases in industrialized countries. Cigarette smoke triggers cells in the lung to release substances which cause inflammation and "eat away" lung tissue. The aim of this project is to identify therapies to prevent and treat emphysema.