Quitting Smoking? Don't Look to your Smartphone

Many of us look to our cell phones for help with just about anything. Different applications can show us directions, where to eat at our favorite restaurants, the weather or even some clips of our favorite television show.

Yet a recent study shows that iPhone applications for smokers who are looking to kick the habit may not be so useful.

"Quit-smoking apps are an increasingly available tool for smokers," lead study author Lorien Abroms, ScD, an associate professor of Prevention and Community Health at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS), via a press release. "Yet our study suggests that these apps have a long way to go to comply with practices that we know help people stub out that last cigarette."

It's estimated that as many as 11 million people smoke in the United States alone, and though some are increasingly turning towards smartphone apps for guidance on attempting to quit, a more direct approach may be necessary than advice that comes through a screen.

Abroms, J. Lee Westmaas, PhD at the American Cancer Society, and colleagues worked to collect data on quit-smoking applications for the iPhone and Android.

They found that every month throughout the world, more than 700,000 apps are downloaded for Android phones alone, many of which are medical apps that help users quit smoking.

In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it's estimated that more than half of all smokers tried to quit in 2010--many of whom were unsuccessful.

A total of 414 quit-smoking apps on both types of phones were identified. From there, researchers analyzed the most popular 50, studying the approach to smoking cessation.

The study found that the most popular apps that claimed they helped users quit smoking were not the best treatment options. For example, none of them provided a toll free number where trained public health counselors on hand could provide advice for quitting smoking. And less than one in 20 apps recommended that smokers try medication to help resist cravings or nicotine replacement therapy.

Such limitations suggest that smart phone users should show a level of caution when using these applications. They may help, but as a stand-alone method for quitting smoking, this probably isn't the best bet.

More information regarding the study can be found via the December print edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.