*Disclaimer: Please note that parts of this blog have been automatically translated.*
Two months ago, October began and that meant: Stoptober! Every year in Dutch media there is plenty of attention for this action. Collectively, about 50,000 Dutch people stop smoking for at least 28 days1. Every year several Dutch celebrities become ambassadors or Stoptober participants themselves. It appears to be an effective method by which people stop smoking, even for longer than 28 days1,2. What makes this method effective?
The core of Stoptober
There are several interventions for smoking cessation. When implemented correctly, whether or not in combination with medication, they can be effective. However, their use is limited, partly due to high costs and partly because people do not know the interventions exist1. A contributing factor is that tobacco addiction is often seen as an unhealthy lifestyle rather than an addiction. This makes smokers less willing to seek treatment and health care providers less likely to offer it3. In 2014, the Stoptober campaign was created that did reach a large group of people directly. A key element that makes this campaign successful is based on social contagion theory: using communication to reinforce a campaign. Stoptober reinforces the behavior to quit smoking by normalizing it nationwide. Thanks to Stoptober’s collaborative, positive approach, participants receive social support from fellow participants and encouragement from nonsmokers, helping it grow into a broad movement4,5.
Stoptober also capitalizes on the psychological principle of a SMART goal: by making a goal specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic and time-bound, people achieve a behavioral goal faster. The clear timeline of 28 days makes people more willing to make a quit attempt and increases the likelihood of success4. Finally, Stoptober is based on the PRIME theory: motivation is unstable and constantly determined by various influences, including emotions, drives and impulses. Stoptober offers participants a broad package of help in order to permanently boost motivation in various ways4. These include Facebook support groups, a website with advice and a free Stoptober app that encourages participants and allows them to track their own behavior2,4.
Implementing Stoptober
The month of October offers healthcare organizations the perfect opportunity to set up a completely smoke-free workplace and make quitting smoking accessible to employees and clients. This can take the form of information evenings, training sessions and activities. Stoptober offers care organizations a step-by-step plan with tools for preparing for these actions2. In short, Stoptober makes it clear that a national campaign strategy can bring about behavior change through three pillars of success: social support, SMART goal setting and stimulating motivation in multiple ways. In the future, these pillars can be used more often in campaigns to bring about behavior change in groups of people.
This blog was written by Isa Peek for the course Recente Ontwikkelingen in Risicogedrag, master’s program PWO, 2024, Radboud University.
References
1. Troelstra, S. A., Harting, J., & Kunst, A. E. (2019). Effectiveness of a large, nation-wide smoking abstinence campaign in the Netherlands: a longitudinal study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(3), 378. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16030378
2. Koopman, E., & Croes, E. (2023). Handleiding Stoptober in de zorg. Geraadpleegd op 10 oktober 2024, van https://www.trimbos.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TRI_PM0705-Handleiding-Stoptober-in-de-zorg-2024.pdf
3. Schellekens, A. F. A., Dijkstra, B. A. G., Vink, J. M., & Kanter, W. D. (2021). Beschouw Tabaksverslaving niet als leefstijl, maar als verslaving [Tobacco use disorder should be considered an addiction, not lifestyle]. Geraadpleegd op 11 oktober 2024, van https://repository.ubn.ru.nl/bitstream/handle/2066/236277/236277.pdf?sequence=1
4. Brown, J., Kotz, D., Michie, S., Stapleton, J., Walmsley, M., & West, R. (2014). How effective and cost effective was the national mass media smoking cessation campaign ‘Stoptober’?. Drug and alcohol dependence, 135, 52-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.11.003
5. Lahiri, S., Bingenheimer, J. B., Evans, W. D., Wang, Y., Cislaghi, B., Dubey, P., & Snowden, B. (2024). Understanding the mechanisms of change in social norms around tobacco use: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of interventions. Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16685