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Broken New Year's resolutions impacting Australians' health
Monday July 7
New research reveals 9 in 10 New Year's quitters are back on the 'fags'
About the Study
The smoking Study was conducted by Galaxy Research on behalf of Pfizer Australia from 30 May - 1 June, 2008. The sample was 1,100 respondents aged 16 years and older distributed throughout Australia. Interviews were conducted using CATI (computer assisted telephone interviewing) with telephone numbers randomly selected from electronic White Pages.
If Australian smokers would have kept their New Year's resolutions, the rate of smoking in Australia would have decreased by 640,000 smokers in the past six months. Instead, the rate of smokers that successfully quit following a New Year's resolution currently sits at a low 11 per cent according to new research released todayi, prompting expert warnings that Australian 'would-be quitters' need to think differently about how they quit smoking.
More than three million Australians are currently considered to be smokers.ii According to the survey, one quarter of these people have made a New Year's resolution to quit, yet nine out of ten are still smoking, putting them at risk of illnesses such as heart disease, lung cancer, kidney disease and blindness.iii
The new survey also showed that the majority of people who pledge to give up smoking on New Year's either fail within a day of making the resolution or within a few months, making New Year's one of the worst times to kick the habit despite it being the most popular time for people to give up smoking - especially for young people.
Smoking cessation expert Professor Matthew Peters, Chairman of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia says that planning a quit attempt for a long time may not increase your chance of success. It is better to quit once you decide you want to do so with the sort of help best suited to you as an individual. The key to quitting is recognising that different people require different approaches to succeed but the first step is the most important.
"For young people in particular, New Year is a bad time to plan to quit. If you are thinking about quitting in July or November, do it then. Do not wait for a time when parties and other stresses reduce your chances of success. If you did pledge to give up smoking last New Year and didn't succeed, it is a good time now to have another try," said Professor Peters.
"The most positive message from this study is that Australians are trying to break their addiction, with almost one in two planning or pledging to quit during important life moments or celebrations such as New Years and Christmas, the birth of a child or the start of a new relationship."
"The reality is that most quit attempts are not successful. What is important is not to be put off by an unsuccessful attempt but to refocus and try again."
Those Australians who give up smoking during an event with personal significance are more successful in their quit attempts. The survey showed 29 per cent of those who quit as a result of a pregnancy or the birth of a child have not smoked since - a similar number of those who quit because of a wedding or a new relationship also give up the habit for good.
Friends and family of smokers also weigh into the debate, with two in five encouraging people to quit around key celebrations and personal milestones. New Year's is again the most popular time to try and motivate friends and family to quit (28 per cent), followed by pregnancy or the birth of a child (24 per cent).
"Support networks are a vital part of the quitting process and friends and family play a key role in the success of their loved ones' quit attempt. For most people, smoking is a chemical addiction that occurs in a personal and behavioural context. Some smokers will make five to seven serious quit attemptsiv in their life time before they eventually quit," said Professor Peters
"There are a number of behaviours people exhibit in attempting to address their nicotine addiction. Some may be in a contemplation phase, where they are thinking about quitting but having no set date or firm plans relating to how they will quit, and so they need to further consider their motivations in order to have a successful quit attempt."
"At the other end of the spectrum there are those smokers trying to quit. So even if you have already tried a number of times to give up - keep trying, your motivation to quit is key to your success. If you have tried and not succeeded before, talk to your doctor about the best plan for your next attempt," said Professor Peters.
With over 300,000 hospitalisations each year from smoking related illnessv, smoking continues to be the single largest cause of preventable disease in Australiavi. One in two smokers die due to smoking related illnessvii.
For further information or for an interview with smoking cessation specialist, please contact:
Will Collie
Weber Shandwick
Phone: (02) 9994 4480
Email: wcollie@webershandwick.com
Sam Fulcher
Weber Shandwick
Phone: (02) 9994 4406
Email: sfulcher@webershandwick.com
About Pfizer Australia
Pfizer Australia is the nation’s leading research-based health care company, investing over $A50m in local research and development annually. It develops, manufactures and markets innovative medicines for both humans and animals. For more information visit the links on this website.
References:
i June 2008, Galaxy Research, ?Smoking Study?
ii Oliver I. Challenges in cancer control in Australia. MJA 2007:186(11):556?557
iii Surgeon General's 2004 Report: The Health Consequences of Smoking on the Human Body, http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2004/sgranimation/flash/
iv Hughes JR. CA Cancer J Clin 2000;50(3):143-151.
v Hurley, S. Hospitalisation and costs attributable to tobacco smoking in Australia: 2001-2002. MJA 2006;184(1):45
vi Australian Bureau of Statistics, Tobacco Smoking in Australia: A Snapshot, 2004-05 http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4831.0.55.001
vii Department of Health and Ageing. Smoking Cessation Guidelines for Australian General Practice 2004.