Smoking Cessation Programme in Workplaces in Hong Kong (Phase ⅤII)

Health talk provided information about hazards of tobacco (active smoking, second- and third-hand smoke), benefits of quitting smoking and methods to quit smoking.

Individual chat-based interactions for 3 months consist of 2 parts. The first part includes regular messages via instant messages (IM). These messages will serve as probes for real-time chat-based support in which more details explanations and motivation to encourage quitting due to financial reasons. The second part includes real-time psycho-behavioral intervention delivered by trained cessation counsellors using health economic principles on behavioral change to motivate smokers to quit. The conversation is based on participants' socio-demographic characteristics, smoking habit at baseline, and updated smoking status and mental health status assessed during online conversation and the baseline questionnaire.

The intervention outcomes and participants' smoking status will be followed up regularly via telephone interviews (15 - 30 minutes).

Full course of NRT treatment (10 weeks) will be provided to all participants who are still smoking at 6-month follow-up and request, or willing to use NRT after advice from counsellors. Medications will be mailed from the smoking cessation clinics.

Regular messages will be sent twice per month within 3 months. These messages covers simple cessation advice and reminders for follow-ups.

Positive incentive was reported to be effective in reducing smoking. Participants in the intervention group will receive HK$ 100 at 3-month follow-up. HK$ 500 will be provided to successful quitters confirmed by biochemical validation at 6 months. A total of HK$ 600 maximum will be rewarded to the participants. The amount of the incentive is comparable to other community events on smoking cessation in Hong Kong. Of note, all smokers who reported quitting, completed and passed the biochemical validation of quitting had been offered HK$ 500 in the past rounds and will also be adopted in this round.