Can supportive and informational text messages aid in helping smokers quit? A study rolled out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine involving a messaging program called “txt2stop” and 5,800 participants prove that the answer is yes.
Nearly 11 percent of smokers receiving encouraging text messages during the study succeeded in quitting, versus less than half that amount being able to kick the habit while receiving generic, “placebo” texts. The smoking cessation text messages included positive feedback, tips on quitting, and the benefits of being a non-smoker. Txt2stop involved 186 main text messages along with more than 700 personalized messages for those with specific concerns about quitting, such as weight gain afterward. Participants could also text “crave” for instant messages when dealing with cravings or “lapse,” if necessary, for encouragement if participants had given in to cravings.
Smokers were also able to text other participants in the program for support and use additional smoking cessation devices in tandem with the texting program.
If you’re a smoker, quitting now is the single best thing that you can do for your health. Among the 250 harmful chemicals in cigarettes, smokefree.gov states that at least 69 of them cause cancer, and smoking is a contributor to heart disease, stroke, and lung disease. On the day a smoker quits, heart rate and blood pressure quickly return to normal levels, and carbon monoxide levels in the blood decline. Within a few weeks, a new non-smoker can expect better circulation and less coughing. A couple months later, lung functions improve, and, by this time, those who have quit smoking report improved senses of taste and smell.
The txt2stop study proves that support and encouragement do work. If you’re unable to take part in a texting program, lean on your friends and family for the support and encouragement that is ultimately the biggest aid in quitting smoking. Have good friends and family members check in with you often and frequently with phone calls, emails, texts, or other online messages. Set up a support group with other smokers trying to quit. Tack up reminders of benefits and positive reinforcement in places that you will see them often, such as your refrigerator, bathroom mirror, or car dashboard.
You can quit smoking. And either text messages or loved ones can help.
Source:
Neil Wagner, The Atlantic, How a Text Messaging Program Helped Smokers Trying To Quit