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Smoking legislation has forced people to consider quitting
smoking: Nicorette
®
SA Smoking Survey 2010
The second annual Nicorette
®
South
African Smoking Survey has once again
reflected several smoke screens on South
Africa’s habits, trends and behaviours
with regard to smoking. The survey
revealed that the smoking legislation that
came into effect last year (such as restrict-
ing people from smoking in public areas)
has had a positive impact on encouraging
people to stop smoking. Across the board,
smokers, non-smokers and ex-smokers
are all feeling the impact of legislation,
with 56% of ex-smokers (up 22% from
last year) agreeing with the rulings, along
with smokers at 44% (40% last year) and
non-smokers recording 48% (up 21%
from last year).
The survey conducted by Nicorette
®
,
a leading provider of nicotine replace-
ment therapy (NRT) in South Africa, had
16 645 participants, a substantial increase
of 22% since its inception last year.
‘This survey is intended to monitor and
give in-depth insight into smoking trends,
but first and foremost, we’re doing it to
have an intimate knowledge of our target
market’, said Nicorette
®
brand manager
Vanessa Sew Chung Hong. ‘It is encour-
aging to see that more and more people
are thinking of stopping smoking because
of the smoking legislation and increased
cost of cigarettes.’
An addition, in this year’s Nicorette
®
South African Smoking Survey is the
introduction of demographics by provin-
cial segmentation. Gauteng and the
Western Cape provinces had the most
participation in the survey with 45% and
28%, respectively. The Northern Cape
had the least amount of participation with
1%.
Smoking because of stress was the
main reason given for smoking, with
63% of smokers saying they have tried
to quit smoking between two and five
times and 6% saying they have tried more
than six times, while another 6% said
they have lost count. ‘This makes us real-
ise that quitting smoking is a challeng-
ing journey and that people need much
more than just a product to help them
stop, they need psychological support as
well, and of course, willpower’, said Sew
Chung Hong. ‘International research has
revealed that smokers are six times more
likely to successfully quit smoking with
a combination of NRT and psychological
support than with will power alone.’
2-4
Accentuating this aspect, the survey
further revealed that 35% (compared to
28% in 2009) relied on friends for help
and support in their quitting journey,
while ironically; ‘formal’ support groups
have dropped from 32% in 2009 to 14%
this year. Will power and NRT remained
the most popular quitting option again
this year, claiming 86% and 28%, respec-
tively, followed by prescription drugs at
18% and electronic cigarettes at 11%.
‘We noted that people perceive will
power to be the most effective way of
quitting, followed by NRT, then prescrip-
tion drugs’, said Sew Chung Hong. ‘We
further noted that prescription drugs
are more common in the higher-income
group because of access to medical aid,
whereas the lower-income group is more
likely to use support groups, friends or a
partner.’
The survey also showed that Nicorette
®
is by far the best-known smoking cessa-
tion aid in South Africa. ‘We’re once
again proud that we’re able to share
these insights regarding the South African
smoking market. This is an integral part
of our commitment to possessing an
in-depth knowledge of our market, there-
by equipping us to be able to provide
solutions, which people really need to quit
smoking’, concludes Sew Chung Hong.
1. Nicorette
®
SA Smoking Survey 2010.
2. West R,
et al
. Smoking cessation guidelines
for health professionals: an update.
Thorax
2000;
55
: 987–999.
3. Fowler G. Smoking, time to confront a major
health issue.
Update
supplement 2000: 3–8.
4. Hilton AH.
Prescriber
2003; February 5:
14–20.
