Developing and evaluating interventions to increase smoking cessation uptake and success and reduce inequalities in tobacco-related harm
Swap to Stop Study: This pseudorandomised trial evaluated engagement with vape-assisted smoking cessation in lung cancer screening, and investigating the impact of co-produced "vape myth-busting" information resources on vape acceptance. The study found that vapes were well received by LCS participants who smoked and were a useful adjunct to successful quitting, particularly in people who did not wish to engage with traditional tobacco cessation services. The information resources primed participants to ask about vapes and reduced the time required for vape counselling, consequently increasing the frequency with which LCS nurses offered the swap to stop service (https://www.lungcancerjournal.info/article/S0169-5002(26)00381-8/abstract).
Readiness to Quit: Lung cancer screening is often promoted as a "teachable moment" to support people who smoke towards quitting, however unlike traditional smoking cessation services, attendees at LCSs may not be ready to quit and the LCS process may generate stress and anxiety and could, conversely, render some participants less ready to quit. This mixed-methods study explored tobacco-using LCS participants' motivation, readiness to quit and engagement with smoking cessation support at the time of lung cancer screening and again 6 weeks later. We identified behavioural and psychological factors that influence quit attempts, which will inform the design of tailored interventions to maximise the preventative impact of lung cancer screening.
i-STOP: An embedded before-and-after observational study within the SPOTLight cohort evaluating the impact of the Swap to Stop scheme on smoking cessation among people presenting with spontaneous pneumothorax—a sentinel smoking-related condition in which smoking cessation could reduce the risk of recurrence by 25-30%. This study will provide real-world evidence on the effectiveness of vape-assisted cessation in a high-risk clinical population to inform wider implementation across NHS respiratory services
