Smoking cessation methods among young adults

Background: Approximately 20% of young adults (YA) (18-24y) in the US are smokers. They are often nondaily smokers who either quit or transition into dependent smokers. YA have often been overlooked in anti-tobacco messaging and have been shown to use less effective quit methods. This study aims to examine quit methods among YA former smokers and current smokers who have made at least one quit attempt. Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with 4,401 YA in Florida as part of the Tobacco Free Florida campaign evaluation. We examined sociodemographics, attitude/beliefs, and smoking cessation variables by smoking status. Results: Twenty percent of YA were current smokers and 37% were former smokers. Former smokers were more often female, of non-White race/ethnicity, more highly educated, less often looking for work, and had less often gone straight to work. Most former smokers (72%) reported no quit attempts, and very few reported using a prescription (<1%), nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) (5%), or calling a quitline (<1%). In contrast, 73% of current smokers reported at least one quit attempt and had rarely used a prescription (7%) or quitline (5%), but more often tried NRT (22%). Conclusions: YA former smokers largely reported no previous quit attempts indicating they quit without assistance. Despite most YA current smokers being situational or occasional smokers (89%), the majority had unsuccessful quit attempts and employed less effective quit methods. YA deserve further study and targeting with cessation messaging to better equip them to quit before they become lifelong smokers.