Statistics on smoking cessation services in Northern Ireland: 1 April 2008–31 March 2009

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has published statistics relating to the smoking cessation services for 2008/09.

The information released provides a statistical examination of the people reporting to the smoking cessation services throughout Northern Ireland during the year 2008/09.

In Northern Ireland during 2008/09:

• 21,272 people set a quit date through the smoking cessation services. This is a decrease of 204 (1%) on the same period last year.
• Of those setting a quit date, 2% were under 18 years of age, 33% were aged 18-34, 25% were aged 35-44, 26% were aged 45-59, and 14% were aged 60 and over.
• Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) was the most popular drug therapy, with 66% of those who set a quit date opting for it.
• At the four week follow-up 10,787 had successfully quit (based on self-report), 51% of those setting a quit date. This is the same figure as that of the previous year (51%).
• The four week success rates were similar for males and females (52% and 49% respectively). In general, success at four weeks increased with age, from 32% for the under 18s to 55% for those aged 60 and over.
• At the four-week follow-up 31% reported that they had not successfully quit. Of these, 56% had reduced their smoking intake and 40% indicated that they intend to rejoin the smoking cessation programme.
• Of the 332 young people aged 11 to 16 who set a quit date, 32% reported to have successfully quit at the four week follow-up, 45% indicated that they were still smoking, and 23% were not able to be contacted for the follow-up.
• Of the 285 women who were recorded as being pregnant, 68% reported to have successfully quit at the four week follow-up, 29% had not quit, and 4% were not able to be contacted.

Notes to Editors:

1. This information up until the 31st March 2009 was collected via the four Health & Social Services Boards who submit data to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

2. Definitions relating to the statistics release are detailed below:

• Brief interventions by General Practitioners (GPs) and other health professionals. These will be provided in the normal course of the professional’s duties rather than comprising a ‘new’ service, and monitoring information about clients in receipt of such interventions in not therefore required centrally.
• Specialist smoking cessation services run by smoking cessation specialist(s) who have received training for this role. The service will be evidence based and offer intensive treatment, usually in the form of one-to-one or group support over the course of five to six weeks, including the use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy. Such a service may be situated in a major hospital or clinic, although it could be based in a community setting, have outreach clinics or operate on a peripatetic basis.
• Quit date. It is recognised that in certain cases some time may need to be spent with clients before they are ready to set a quit date. However, only actual quit attempts are counted for monitoring.
• Success. On the basis that the clinical viewpoint tends to be that a client should not be counted as a ‘failure’ if he/she has smoked in the difficult first days after the quit date, a client is counted as having successfully quit smoking if he/she has not smoked at all since two weeks after the quit date.
• Four week and 52-week follow-up. All clients should be followed up at four weeks and those who self-report as having quit at this stage should be followed up again at 52 weeks.
• Carbon monoxide (CO) validation. CO monitoring is carried out with clients of the specialist cessation services who self-report as not having smoked since two weeks after the quit date, at both the four week and fifty-two week stages.

3. This publication is available online

4. Additional information is available from:

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5. Media enquiries to DHSSPS Press Office on 028 9052 0074.