Nicotine is naturally found in the plants belonging to the Solanaceae family. Concentrations high enough to have a pharmacological effect are seen only in the tobacco sub-family, approximately 2% of dry weight and in Duboisia Hopwoodii that has been used by Australian aborigines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duboisia_hopwoodii). It is also present in the range of 2–7 microgram per kg of various edible plants.

Introduction: Individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses have a greater prevalence of smoking than the general population and are disproportionately affected by tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. Evidence-based tobacco treatment can aid such populations in their efforts at smoking cessation. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of tobacco treatment programmes within Mental Health and Addictions Services in Canada.

Aims: This study examines outcomes from an evidence-based tobacco treatment programme provided within community mental health services in Vancouver, Canada.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 134 participants (from June 2010 to February 2012). Information on demographics, tobacco use and cessation history, substance use history, psychiatric disorder diagnosis, expired carbon monoxide level, and duration of treatment in the programme were obtained. Programme completion and smoking cessation/reduction were examined.

Results: Sixty-seven per cent completed the programme. Of those who completed, 26.7% were abstinent at the end-of-treatment and 50% (of those not achieving abstinence) reduced their consumption to at least 50% of their baseline cigarette consumption. Predictors of smoking cessation included having a social support for smoking cessation and lower nicotine dependence at baseline.

Conclusions: Evidence-based tobacco treatment within community mental health services is well received by individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. Such treatment can aid in their efforts towards smoking cessation. Future studies may need to assess factors that can enhance the integration of tobacco treatment within mental health services while providing tailored treatment that addresses the unique needs of smokers who have severe and persistent mental illness.

Introduction: In March 2011, the New Zealand government committed to the goal of reducing the prevalence of current smokers to less than 5% by 2025. Smoking prevalence is significantly higher for Māori and Pacific peoples. To ensure a proportionately larger decrease in smoking prevalence for Māori and Pacific peoples by 2025, more effective strategies for prompting cessation among these groups are needed. Aim: This study aimed to identify what motivates Māori and Pacific people to quit smoking so that communications and mass media quit campaigns can be more effective at triggering quitting among them. Method: A qualitative approach utilising focus groups (N = 168) was used to ask participants to rank reasons why people say they should quit smoking (the ‘talk’) which we compared with participants’ reasons for actually quitting (the ‘walk’). The results were plotted on a scatter graph using a method devised by the authors. Results: Health, children and pregnancy were perceived to be strong motivating reasons to quit and they were frequently cited as triggering past quit attempts. Cost was plotted high for Pacific but low for Māori especially for talk. ‘It stinks’ was cited as triggering past quit attempts, but was not perceived as a reason to quit. Conclusion: Emotionally important reasons and more immediate reasons for quitting are likely to be more effective at prompting Māori and Pacific peoples to stop smoking.

Introduction: Patients of specialized nicotine dependence clinics are hypothesized to form a distinct subpopulation of smokers due to the features associated with treatment seeking. The aim of the study was to describe this subpopulation of smokers and compare it to smokers in general population.

Material and methods: A chart review of 796 outpatients attending a specialized nicotine dependence clinic, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada was performed. Client smoking patterns and sociodemographic characteristics were compared to smokers in the general population using two Ontario surveys – the Ontario Tobacco Survey (n = 898) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Monitor (n = 457).

Results: Smokers who seek treatment tend to smoke more and be more heavily addicted. They were older, had longer history of smoking and greater number of unsuccessful quit attempts, both assisted and unassisted. They reported lower education and income, had less social support and were likely to live with other smokers.

Conclusions: Smokers who seek treatment in specialized centers differ from the smokers in general population on several important characteristics. These same characteristics are associated with lower chances for successful smoking cessation and sustained abstinence and should be taken into consideration during clinical assessment and treatment planning.

Introduction: Women who continue to smoke during pregnancy are at risk of smoking-related diseases, maternity complications and expose the foetus to risks of perinatal mortality and morbidity. The number of women smoking at the time of delivery is estimated at 13.5% in England and 15.8% in the West Midlands. However, the prevalence can be elevated in certain areas, such as north Solihull.

Aims: This research consults past, current and non-users of specialist smoking cessation services and reports pregnant women's views of smoking cessation delivery and potential service developments.

Methods: Focus groups were conducted with 19 participants with experience of prenatal smoking.

Findings: Data was analysed using thematic analysis. The main themes included: (1) improving access to clear, sensitive information on smoking and pregnancy; (2) perceptions of existing services; (3) improving current services: the right delivery and the right person; and (4) encouraging participation of pregnant smokers.

Conclusions: In this area, pregnant smokers wanted easily-accessible, empathetic, non-judgemental and flexible support more than incentives or rewards to quit smoking. They also stated a preference for group cessation support as they believed that peer support would be advantageous.

This study examines young New Zealand smokers’ views of what would help them quit smoking. A qualitative investigation using 10 focus groups with 66 current young smokers, aged between 15 and 17 years, was conducted throughout New Zealand, in late 2011. Transcripts from the focus groups were analysed using NVivo, and common themes and categories within themes were identified. Around half the participants had made a quit attempt in the past, some had tried multiple times using a range of methods; all were unsuccessful. They described both mental and physical difficulties for young people quitting. The participants developed an array of ideas for how to help young people quit smoking, encompassing having supportive people around them, making personal changes and adopting alternative behaviours to smoking, legislative changes, and ideas that were unique to young people. Cessation strategies which reach high risk smokers such as young people, Māori and Pacific peoples, are going to be vital for achieving a smokefree Aotearoa by 2025.

Introduction: Although smoking prevalence has declined dramatically among adults in the past 40 years, 19.3% of adults still smoke, including 20.1% of adults aged 18–24 years. Quitlines are effective, population-based interventions that increase successful cessation.

Aims: This study aims to describe the characteristics of young adult smokers aged 18–24 years who used telephone cessation counselling for assistance with quitting, to assess self-reported quit rates, and to examine predictors of quitting, compared to older adults.

Methods: We examined data from 4,542 young adult smokers aged 18–24 years and 46,094 smokers aged ≥25 years who enrolled in the American Cancer Society's quitline services during 2006–2008.

Results: Young adult smokers aged 18–24 years who called quitlines differed slightly from older adults in demographics and tobacco-use behaviours. There were no age-related differences in self-reported seven-day quit rates or 30-day quit rates at the seven-month follow-up. Predictors of quitting were mostly similar for the young adults and the older adults, although the odds of quitting were lower among young adults for living with vs. not living with a smoker.

Conclusions: Although young adult smokers under-utilise telephone cessation quitlines for assistance with quitting, those who do use these services have quit rates similar to older adults.