A Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Different Lengths of Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Smoking Cessation

Abstract

This study examined if 2-week free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) would be more effective than 1-week free NRT to help smokers quit smoking at 6 and 12 months. In a single-blinded randomized controlled trial design, 562 Chinese smokers who attended a smoking cessation clinic in Hong Kong, China, were randomly allocated into two groups (A1 and A2): A1 (n = 284) received behavioural counselling with free NRT for 1 week; A2 (n = 278) received similar counselling with free NRT for 2 weeks. All subjects received printed self-help materials to support their quitting efforts. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection, including pattern of NRT use and self-reported 7-day point prevalence quit rate at 6 months and 12 months. Among the participants, the mean number of cigarettes smoked per day was 18.8 (SD = 10.9). By intention-to-treat analysis, 7-day point prevalence quit rates were not significantly different between A1 and A2 groups at 6-month (27.5% versus 27.3%; P = 0.97) and 12-month (21.1% versus 21.2%; P = 0.98) followup. The findings suggest that two-week free NRT was not more effective than 1-week free NRT to increase smoking cessation rate among Chinese smokers.

Nicotine replacement therapy sampling for smoking cessation within primary care: results from a pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial

“…Several trials within primary care have tested proactive interventions but have included additional mailings, telephone calls and occasionally intensive counseling support , which may not be easily scalable. Other prominent trials within health‐care settings have been restricted to smokers wanting to quit or who were attending cessation clinics , which represents a limited range of smokers. We herein present a large‐scale cluster‐randomized clinical trial that examines outcomes from a minimally intensive medication sampling intervention, tested among a broad spectrum of smokers seen within primary care clinics across South Carolina.…”

Effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapy sample at outdoor smoking hotspots for initiating quit attempts and use of smoking cessation services: a protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

“…6 In Hong Kong, NRT is an over-the-counter medication and can be bought from pharmacy, yet at a relatively high price. 15 Although smokers can obtain free NRT by enrolling in smoking cessation clinics, many of them are either unaware or unwilling to seek cessation services. 6 Therefore, it is of great importance to outreach, and develop new strategies of motivating the smokers to use these aids.…”

“…In Hong Kong quit attempters, only 11.7% had ever used prescribed or over-the-counter medication, and 14.2% used cessation services. 6 The low prevalence of NRT usage may be explained by the high price of a pack of NRT compared with a pack of cigarettes, 15 and smokers' low awareness and intention in using cessation services. 6 Providing NRT sample address the high cost to use NRT and encourage smokers to attempt quitting by using NRT.…”

Motivating smokers at outdoor public smoking hotspots to have a quit attempt with a nicotine replacement therapy sample: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…1 ). Based on the experience of the previous trials [ 11 , 31 , 32 ], the choice of NRT (patch or gum) will be made according to the subject’s preference and the ambassador will provide medication counselling. Afterwards, the subjects will receive a free pack of 1-week NRT.…”

“…On the contrary, the corresponding percentage of quitting with medication is at least 40 % in Australia, Canada, the UK, and the USA [ 10 ]. The low prevalence of using NRT in Hong Kong may be due to the higher price of NRT per day ($5.43 per day) [ 11 ] than, say, in the USA (US$2.41–3.62 per day) [ 12 ]. Very few smokers therefore use NRT for their quit attempts, especially those who do not prefer to obtain free NRT from the smoking cessation clinics.…”