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This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2007.128629v1 99/3/499    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by O'Loughlin, J. Articles by Meshefedjian, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by O'Loughlin, J. Articles by Meshefedjian, G. Related Collections Community Health Epidemiology Adolescent Health Surveys Smoking Cessation Tobacco Control

Jennifer O'Loughlin, PhD, André Gervais, MD, Erika Dugas, MSc and Garbis Meshefedjian, PhD

Jennifer O'Loughlin and Erika Dugas are with the Centre de recherche du CHUM, Montreal, Quebec. Jennifer O'Loughlin is also with the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, Quebec, and the Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Montreal. André Gervais and Garbis Meshefedjian are with the Direction de santé publique de Montréal, Quebec.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Jennifer O'Loughlin, Centre du recherche du CHUM, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, 3875 rue Saint Urbain, 1st floor, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1V1 (email: jennifer.oloughlin{at}umontreal.ca).

Objectives. We sought to document the sequence and timing of milestones in the process of smoking cessation by prospectively studied cessation milestones among novice adolescent smokers.

Methods. Participants, aged 12 to 13 years in 1999 (n = 1293), completed self-report questionnaires every 3 months during the school year over 5 years. We ascertained time after first puff to attain 5 cessation milestones among 319 participants who initiated cigarette smoking during follow-up.

Results. The cumulative probability of first reports of a serious desire to quit and perceived permanent cessation was 25% at 1.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5, 2.5) after the first puff. The first serious quit attempt occurred at 2.5 months (95% CI = 2.5, 5.4), lack of confidence about quitting followed at 18.4 months (95% CI = 18.4, 26.8), and awareness of the difficulty of quitting occurred at 32.2 months (95% CI = 19.2, 38.4).

Conclusions. Desire and attempts to quit began soon after smoking onset. Novice smokers progressed through several stages in their perception of the difficulty of quitting. Increased understanding of the cessation process may help in developing effective tobacco control interventions for novice smokers.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P Wileyto, J O'Loughlin, M Lagerlund, G Meshefedjian, E Dugas, and A Gervais Distinguishing risk factors for the onset of cravings, withdrawal symptoms and tolerance in novice adolescent smokers Tob. Control, October 1, 2009; 18(5): 387 - 392. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. O'Loughlin, I. Karp, T. Koulis, G. Paradis, and J. DiFranza Determinants of First Puff and Daily Cigarette Smoking in Adolescents Am. J. Epidemiol., September 1, 2009; 170(5): 585 - 597. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]