This talk will present a simple conceptual model for population cessation, which will help explain the differential cessation rate in different populations and will provide guidance on how to improve the cessation rate on a population level. It will show, through a review of the literature, that we who work in the field of cessation often place too much emphasis on ensuring the success of every quit attempt and not enough on increasing the number of quit attempts, successful or unsuccessful, in the population. It will demonstrate, through empirical studies and computer simulation, that increasing the number of quit attempts is the most important strategy for increasing cessation on the population level. The importance of changing the social norm to increase the number of quit attempts will be emphasized. Implications for the promotion of cessation treatment will also be addressed: the application of the conceptual model presented here can help us to avoid pitfalls in cessation treatment promotion and to more effectively use limited resources to increase population cessation.

As this presentation contains unpublished data we are unable to publish it on the Internet. Please email Shu-Hong if you want to receive a copy - szhu@ucsd.edu