The new fact sheet ‘Smoking cessation interventions for young people’ summarises the current state of scientific knowledge on smoking cessation interventions for young people up to the age of 20. Various interventions have been developed in recent years to encourage young people to quit smoking. When writing the fact sheet, it became clear that far from all interventions have been studied for effectiveness.
Smoking is still a common form of unhealthy behaviour among young people, posing significant risks to overall health. It is positive, however, that the percentage of young people in the Netherlands who smoke has declined in recent years. In 2013, 22.3% of young people aged between 12 and 16 had ever smoked; by 2017, this had fallen to 16.1%.
Group interventions most effective
An estimated 75 young people start smoking daily each day. Symptoms of addiction can occur within just a few days. As a result, even young people who have not been smoking for very long may find it difficult to quit without using aids.
The strongest evidence of effectiveness has been found for behavioural interventions delivered in groups. These include, for example, group interventions carried out in schools. In addition, behavioural interventions based on a combination of different treatment methods also appear to be effective for young people.
Apps and nicotine replacement products
Digital interventions via the internet or an app on a mobile phone appear promising for this target group, but the effect of these interventions has not yet been extensively studied. Pharmacological interventions involving medication or nicotine replacement products have also been studied only to a limited extent and have so far shown little effect among young people.
It is a challenge to ensure that young people who smoke and want to quit take part in effective interventions and continue to participate. Young people are often only moderately interested in taking part, partly because they generally do not see themselves as addicted smokers.
Limited availability
In the Netherlands, only a limited number of interventions are available that focus on helping young people quit smoking. Research into the effectiveness of these interventions is often lacking. The new fact sheet describes five interventions and explains what is known about their effectiveness. More research into young people's needs regarding smoking cessation interventions is needed in order to appeal to their interest.