Nearly 90 percent of adult smokers began smoking before they turned 18. And tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death, causing more than 5 million deaths per year worldwide. Telephone quit lines support adult users, 18 and older, yet teens are asking for help. That’s why the National Cancer Institute’s Tobacco Control Research Branch has developed Smokefree Teen (SfT). SfT is a new smoking cessation resource aimed at helping teens quit smoking and take control of their health. To appeal to a teen audience that spends much of its time online and on the phone, SfT provides a variety of targeted behavioral support:
- teen.smokefree.gov—A website offering evidence-based smoking cessation information and interactive tools designed especially for teens
- SmokefreeTXT—A free text messaging program for teens to receive text messages timed according to their selected quit date. Following their quit date, they will continue receiving texts for up to six weeks—a critical piece of the SmokefreeTXT service, as research shows that cessation support continues to be important beyond the first few weeks of quitting. Teens can sign up online at teen.smokefree.gov or text QUIT to iQUIT (47848).
- QuitSTART—In January 2012, Smokefree Teen will launch a free smartphone quit guide application for teens that delivers cessation and mood management tips, tracks cravings, and monitors quit attempts.
“With 75 percent of youths between the ages of 12 and 17 owning a cell phone, there is immense potential for mobile technologies to affect health awareness and behavior change among teens,” said Erik Augustson, Ph.D., a behavioral scientist in NCI’s Tobacco Control Research Branch.
To learn more about Smokefree Teen and SmokefreeTXT, visit http://teen.smokefree.gov.