Insights From the SmokeFree.gov Initiative Regarding the Use of Smoking Cessation Digital Platforms During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Trends Analysis Study

Abstract

Background Smoking is a plausible risk factor for COVID-19 progression and complications. Smoking cessation digital platforms transcend pandemic-driven social distancing and lockdown measures in terms of assisting smokers in their quit attempts. Objective This study aims to examine trends in the number of visitors, followers, and subscribers on smoking cessation digital platforms from January to April 2020 and to compare these traffic data to those observed during the same 4-month period in 2019. The examination of prepandemic and postpandemic trends in smoking cessation digital platform traffic can reveal whether interest in smoking cessation among smokers is attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We obtained cross-sectional data from daily visitors on the SmokeFree website; the followers of six SmokeFree social media accounts; and subscribers to the SmokeFree SMS text messaging and mobile app interventions of the National Cancer Institute’s SmokeFree.gov initiative platforms, which are publicly available to US smokers. Average daily percentage changes (ADPCs) were used to measure trends for the entire 2020 and 2019 study periods, whereas daily percentage changes (DPCs) were used to measure trends for each time segment of change within each 4-month period. Data analysis was conducted in May and June 2020. Results The number of new daily visitors on the SmokeFree website (between days 39 and 44: DPC=18.79%; 95% CI 5.16% to 34.19%) and subscribers to the adult-focused interventions QuitGuide (between days 11 and 62: DPC=1.11%; 95% CI 0.80% to 1.43%) and SmokeFreeTXT (between days 11 and 89: DPC=0.23%; 95% CI 0.004% to 0.47%) increased, but this was followed by declines in traffic. No comparable peaks were observed in 2019. The number of new daily subscribers to quitSTART (ie, the teen-focused intervention) trended downward in 2020 (ADPC=−1.02%; 95% CI −1.88% to −0.15%), whereas the overall trend in the number of subscribers in 2019 was insignificant (P=.07). The number of SmokeFree social media account followers steadily increased by <0.1% over the 4-month study periods in 2019 and 2020. Conclusions Peaks in traffic on the SmokeFree website and adult-focused intervention platforms in 2020 could be attributed to an increased interest in smoking cessation among smokers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coordinated campaigns, especially those for adolescents, should emphasize the importance of smoking cessation as a preventive measure against SARS-CoV-2 infection and raise awareness of digital smoking cessation platforms to capitalize on smokers’ heightened interest during the pandemic.

Global, regional, and national burden of cancers attributable to tobacco smoking in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019

“… 47 Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, policy makers should focus more on online methods for smoking cessation interventions in this period or even continue it after easing the lockdown. 48 …”

“…In addition to these recommended measures, using the Internet is superior to print material and is equivalent to telephone and in‐person counseling 47 . Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, policy makers should focus more on online methods for smoking cessation interventions in this period or even continue it after easing the lockdown 48 …”

“…47 Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, policy makers should focus more on online methods for smoking cessation interventions in this period or even continue it after easing the lockdown. 48 Increasing the uptake of existing evidence-based smoking cessation support should be a focus of investment for global tobacco control. Pharmacotherapy and counseling remain the gold standard for smoking cessation, 49 which are unfortunately underutilized in practice.…”

Association Between Tobacco Use and COVID-19: A Narrative Review

“…An appropriate preventive measure against the SARS-CoV-2 infection is smoking cessation (73,74). According to previous research, one-third of smokers were motivated to quit smoking due to the spread of the virus (11).…”

Changes in Cigarette Smoking and Vaping in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK: Findings from Baseline and 12-Month Follow up of HEBECO Study

“…This may be attributed to the fact that cessation attempts triggered by the pandemic were largely unaided [ 15 ]. Research in the UK suggests no change in downloads of a popular smoking cessation app during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic [ 16 ], though a study in the US from the same time period reported an increase in traffic on the Smokefree website and adult-focused digital intervention platforms in 2020 [ 17 ]. Likewise, research on vaping suggests that a proportion of vapers decreased their product use in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic (10–24%; [ 10 , 14 ]), though some vapers reported an increase (24–40%; [ 10 , 14 ]), and half did not change their use (50%; [ 10 ]).…”