Internet tools can help smokers quit

Web-based interventions can be just as effective at helping smokers quit as face-to-face or telephone counseling, and are more effective than print materials, according to new research published in Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation.

The systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted by researchers at the Schroeder Institute® for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies. The authors reviewed the findings of 40 randomized trials of Internet smoking cessation interventions conducted between 1990-2015, which included a total of 98,530 adult smokers.

Past research has shown that Internet interventions can be effective, but they are not currently included among the recommended treatment strategies in national tobacco treatment guidelines.

“The Internet is the first place many people go for health information, including information on how to quit smoking, and digital health interventions are playing a growing role in health care,” said Dr. Amanda Graham, Director of Research Development at the Schroeder Institute and lead author on the study. “Our findings show that Internet interventions have an important role to play in the arsenal of tobacco dependence treatments.”