Tobacco Resources
This section of the site provides quick access to case studies and helpful on-line social marketing resources for changing tobacco-related behaviours. We welcome suggestions for additional case studies and resources
Latest News
November 10, 2025 Ten New Topic Resource Added So Far in 2025
We've added ten new tobacco-related Topic Resources in 2025. You can access and read summaries of them at the top of the right hand column below.January 21, 2025 Twelve New Topic Resource Added
We added twelve new tobacco-related Topic Resources in 2024. You can access and read summaries of them at the top of the right hand column below. Let us know what you think.Most Recent Tobacco Case Studies
Canada-Wide Ban on Menthol Cigarettes 
Bans on menthol cigarettes across Canada from 2015 to 2017 led to a significant increase in the numbers of smokers who attempted to quit and who quit successfully, while reducing relapse rates among former smokers. Canada was the one of the first countries to implement a ban on menthol cigarettes, and the first country where such a ban was evaluated.
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Bob and Martin Quit Smoking 
This effective smoking cessation campaign used eight television ads based on Prochaska's theory of behavioural change, to move smokers along from the pre-contemplation to the maintenance stage of smoking cessation. The ads featured an average male smoker moving through the stages of smoking cessation.
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Reward and Reminder Reduces Illegal Cigarette Sales
Reward and Reminder, within months, dramatically reduced the illegal sales of cigarettes to minors in a number of American states, and is easily replicable. This case study is an excellent illustration of the use of multiple baseline design instead of control groups.
Read More »Most Recent Tobacco Resources
School-Based Intervention Cuts Odds of Using E-Cigarettes by 65%
A large Australian RCT found that a school-based intervention cut the odds of using e-cigarettes by 65%.
Read More »Preventing Smoking Relapse in Postpartum Women
This is a priced article covering a systematic review and meta-analysis that focused on 11 studies from 10 Randomized Controlled Trials involving 3,365 participants. The article compares the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing (MI).
Read More »Effectiveness of Family-Based Behavioral Intervention for Smoking Cessation in Low-Income Households
This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted up to January 1, 2025 and the meta-analysis focused on 12 Randomized Controlled Trials with a total of 2,782 participants. Family-based behavioral interventions significantly increased abstinence in low-income households where both parents smoked and pharmacotherapy was included. Interventions that incorporated behavioral counseling with nicotine replacement therapy and implemented with a long-term follow-up tended to be more effective.
Read More »School-Based Intervention Cuts Odds of Using E-Cigarettes by 65%
A large Australian RCT found that a school-based intervention cut the odds of using e-cigarettes by 65%.
Read More »School-Based Interventions Can Positively Impact Smoking Abstinence Rates
Non-pharmacological school-based interventions positively impact smoking abstinence rates, although effectiveness may vary based on study design, follow-up duration, and use of biochemical verification.
Read More »Financial Incentives Support Abstinence from Nicotine and Alcohol
Financial Incentives are an effective tool for increasing substance abstinence, particularly for nicotine and alcohol.
Read More »Cognitive-Behavioral Counseling and Financial Incentives Help Pregnant Women Quit Smoking
Pregnant women respond well to cognitive-behavioral counseling and financial incentives for quitting smoking, which improve pregnancy outcomes like birth weight.
Read More »Whole-School Interventions Reduce Smoking
Eleven other behaviors / health issues had non-significant findings.
Read More »Gratitude in Advertising can Promote Healthier Decisions than Scare Tactics 
Gruesome smoking warnings, frightening obesity statistics and shocking drink-driving campaigns all use fear to drive behavior change. But a University of Auckland researcher says it might be time to try a different approach.
Read More »Don’t Forget the Humble Text Message
Text messaging is a proven intervention for changing tobacco behaviors, due to its low cost, vast reach, frequent use, high read rates, and ability to be tailored and personalized.
Read More »Quit-Lines Reduce Young Adult Vaping (RCT)
Quitline coaching over the phone helped almost half of young people who vape ditch the habit.
Read More »Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Text Messaging Interventions to Support Tobacco Cessation
Text messaging-based interventions are effective at promoting smoking cessation.
Read More »Swedish Researchers Develop Proven Protocol for Quitting Smoking
Swedish researchers have developed and tested a protocol for quitting smoking. They showed its effectiveness using a Randomized Control Trial (RCT.) Six months after treatment, the protocol yielded twice as many quits as standard practice.
Read More »Research reveals most effective images for cigar health warning labels
This research identified the most effective types of images to pair with newly developed cigar health warning labels.
Read More »Influencers 101: Best Practices and Practical Approaches for Public Health Campaigns: Lessons learned from tobacco prevention campaigns
This guide is designed to help readers initiate, design, implement, and assess a (tobacco) influencer program.
Read More »Effectiveness of culturally tailoring smoking cessation interventions for reducing or quitting combustible tobacco: A systematic review and meta-analyses
Standard approaches to tobacco smoking cessation may not be as effective for certain populations. Therefore, tailoring on cultural factors could improve their effectiveness. This systematic review found that culturally tailoring interventions may help more people quit smoking than non-tailored interventions.
Read More »Culturally Tailored Anti-Smoking Messages: A Randomized Trial with U.S. Sexual Minority Young Women
This study evaluated effects of exposure to culturally tailored anti-smoking ads versus control ads. It looked at quitting intentions, cigarette purchase intentions, and tobacco industry perceptions. The ads targeted young adult, cisgender and transgender, sexual minority women (SMW).
Read More »Group-Based Interventions Double Smoking Cessation Rates at Six-Months
Group-based smoking cessation interventions double the rate of smoking cessation at six-month follow up. Implementing group-based smoking cessation programs, that incorporate multiple behavior change techniques, is recommended for effective smoking cessation care. Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials.
Read More »Effect of Smoking Cessation Counseling by Telephone and Provision of Medication on Smoking Abstinence in Patients Recently Diagnosed with Cancer
In this randomized clinical trial of 303 patients, conducted at 2 National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, sustained telephone counseling over 6 months and provision of free medication compared with 4-week telephone counseling and medication advice resulted in 6-month biochemically confirmed quit rates of 34.5% vs 21.5%, a difference that was statistically significant. Among patients recently diagnosed with cancer, sustained cessation counseling and free medication may increase the likelihood of smoking abstinence compared with shorter-term counseling, but the generalizability of the study findings is uncertain and requires further research. Published in 2020.
Read More »Heated Tobacco Products Negatively Influence Quitting
This study found that the perceived benefits of heated tobacco consumption negatively influence the likelihood of quitting smoking.
Read More »Mobile phone-based interventions for smoking cessation among young people: Systematic review and meta-analysis
SMS text messaging-based smoking cessation interventions compared to inactive controls were associated with abstinence among young people and could be considered a viable option for smoking cessation in this population. Based on a review of 13 eligible studies, comprising 27,240 participants.
Read More »Effectiveness of Peer-Support Interventions for Smoking Cessation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Peer-support interventions increased smoking abstinence. However, there remains a lack of consensus about how to define a peer. Efficacy varies with key intervention features such as peer smoking status and follow-up timepoint. Although the absence of evidence of publication bias and opposing plausible residual bias enhance the certainty of evidence, the findings should be interpreted cautiously given the overall 'very low' certainty of evidence. Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Read More »Effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions among pregnant women: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis
Non-pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation are the most effective for pregnant women. The moderator analysis suggests that pregnant women of low socioeconomic status might benefit less from smoking cessation interventions than women of a high socioeconomic status. These women are usually heavier smokers that live in pro-smoking environments and could require more intensive and targeted interventions.
Read More »Smoking Cessation Interventions Delivered During Lung Health Screening
Moderate quality evidence supports smoking cessation interventions delivered within a lung screening setting compared to usual care, with high-quality evidence that more intensive interventions are likely to be most effective. Read More »
Clinician Reminders Increase Uptake of Tobacco Use Treatment
This Cluster Randomized clinical trial found that prompting oncology clinicians to discuss tobacco use therapy with appropriate patients yielded a 35.6% uptake rate compared with a 13.5% uptake rate with usual care. In contrast, patient reminders did not affect uptake rates.
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