World No Tobacco Day: how effective is “Tobacco info service” on cessation?

According to a study by Public Health France published this Tuesday, May 28, 2024, one in five smokers in contact with a tobacco specialist of the Tobacco info service system managed to quit smoking six months later. Figures which should encourage better promotion of this service, which is almost free, according to the national health agency.

You must dial 39 89. Tabac info service, managed by Santé publique France, was launched in 1998. These quitlines, of which the United States are pioneers, are telephone systems to help quit smoking recommended by numerous authorities, including the High Authority for Health in France.

A study published this Tuesday, May 28 in the weekly epidemiological bulletin of Public Health France evaluates the effects of the system on smoking abstinence over the period 2018-2020. A first evaluation was carried out over the period 2012-2014.

What does Tabac info service offer?

To contact the Tabac info Service system, you must dial 39 89 or ask to be called back via the app or website of the same name.

The TIS telephone system is organized into two response levels: the first level telephone advisors inform and guide callers, encouraging them to benefit from an interview with a tobacco specialist who constitutes the second level of the line.

The tobacco specialist carries out a personalized smoking assessment within three days and, through several interviews, supports the person during cessation.

Nearly 50,000 callers in 3 years

Between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020, 49,431 callers were put in contact with a tobacco specialist. 321 had never smoked, 690 were ex-smokers and 2,617 had an unknown smoking status.

These 3,628 people were excluded from the analysis, which therefore covered 45,803 smokers and people who were trying to quit when they contacted Tabac info service.

86.5% of them agreed to be called back six months later; a means of documenting their smoking status, assessing users’ level of satisfaction and, if necessary, motivating those who had resumed smoking to initiate a new quit attempt.

Among the people who accepted, more than half responded to the tobacco specialist’s callback (56.7%), 40.0% could not be reached during the 3 call attempts made and were considered unreachable, and 3 .3% could be reached but refused to answer questions.

Result ? 22.2% declared themselves to be non-smokers for at least seven days at the time of the reminder. For comparison, abstinence rates at 6-12 months are between 3% and 5% among smokers who try to quit without help.

A system that would benefit from being promoted?

The score was higher among people who were already in the process of weaning at the time of their first call. It fell to 17% among other smokers.

The score was also higher among vapers, people who had set a date to quit smoking and those who had benefited from a greater number of calls with a tobacco specialist.

On the contrary, it was lower among women, the most dependent smokers, those with another addiction, a health problem and unemployed people.

However, the device, almost free, is a valuable aid for one in five smokers who dial the number. According to several studies, we know that anti-tobacco measures have an increasing influence on the number of smokers who call the service. Just as the service promotion campaigns have a real impact on the number of callers.

Based on this data, Public Health France calls for greater promotion of the service, particularly among the most vulnerable smokers. The agency also advocates for the provision of nicotine replacement treatment in addition to behavioral support.

Please note: in France, tobacco consumption is the leading cause of avoidable mortality with 13% of deaths attributable to smoking. With the highest consumption in Western Europe, 25.3% of 19-75 year olds smoked daily in 2021. This data highlighted an increase in smoking among women and among the least educated. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region that we find the most smokers where almost 30% of men smoke every day.

With Destination Health

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon -.