Learning Objectives: Characterize the desire to quit smoking among a sample of adult Minnesotans, adult members of two publicly-subsidized insurance programs, and Minnesota high school students; and use these results to build the business case for offering smoking cessation resources to these populations.
Abstract: Objective: Building the case for tobacco cessation requires clear, supportive data. Quitting Smoking: Nicotine Addiction in Minnesota provides scientific data on Minnesota adult and youth smokers’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors concerning quitting smoking to support policy development, advocacy, and program planning. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross), the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT), and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) jointly produced recent research report.
METHODS: MPAAT and Blue Cross administered the same cross-sectional survey to three different adult samples. MPAAT randomly sampled 6,000 Minnesotans in six geographic regions. The 1,679 Blue Cross members sampled represent two publicly subsidized insurance programs for low-income populations. Results were also included from the MDH Youth Tobacco Survey, conducted in Winter 2000, on 12,376 6th-12th grade students in 46 middle and 57 high schools.
RESULTS: Specific results demonstrate that Minnesota smokers greatly desire to quit, face many barriers due to the nicotine addiction, and increasingly seek assistance to quit. Smokers with publicly subsidized insurance more often reported the costs of quit support classes and medications as a barrier. Youth data clearly support the growing awareness that adolescents also need effective quit smoking assistance, despite the lack of effective teen interventions.
Discussion: The report has been successfully used to build the business case for offering smoking cessation programs among Blue Cross and leadership and the external community because it: 1) clearly supportive provision of cessation programs 2) was widely disseminated, and 3) collaboratively produced to present a unified message.
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