Chapter 11

Tapping Technical Supports

IN THIS CHAPTER

Bullet Chatting about quitting

Bullet Receiving marvelous messages of support

Bullet Seeking self-help for smoking on the Internet

Research on quitting smoking suggests that you should make a public statement of your intent to quit. By doing just that alone, you slightly increase your chances of success. However, some people are shy. They really don’t want to share their business with other people. And they certainly don’t want the public embarrassment of possible failure.

Now, we could reassure you that most of your friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers really want to support you in your efforts. But we don’t blame you if you feel unsure and insecure. In fact, a few people in your world may have a tendency to be critical. Who needs that — especially when you’re trying something excruciatingly hard, like quitting an addiction!

So, if you would like some support, but not from people you know, we have an app for that! Or anonymous help on the phone. This chapter reviews some of the best.

Remember The resources reviewed in this chapter are terrific. We think the more help and support you get the better. However, we did not find a product that we could endorse as a complete, stand-alone program for quitting smoking. The quitlines come the closest to a full-blown program, but you still get somewhat fragmented support. In almost all cases, you’ll talk to someone different every time you call. So, yes, consider using apps on your phone, quitlines, text messaging, or Internet chat groups. Just don’t expect them to be a complete solution to quitting smoking.

Tip Chapter 24 covers reliable online sources of information about smoking and cessation and health effects. Here we’re giving you sources of support for your efforts. In a few cases, the contact website is the same for both purposes.

Finding Help on Your Phone

The resources we review in this section are all free to download or access. You can get help without judgment. The quitline is welcoming and confidential. You don’t have to tell the counselor your name. And you don’t have to have stopped smoking when you call — you can just be considering the idea.

You can also sign up for an app. You may prefer this option if you’d rather not talk to an actual, live person. If you want text or email support, you’ll need to provide your phone number or email address if you’re comfortable doing so. Most important, lining up additional support through quitlines or apps can increase your chances of success.

Warning Be careful about the type of information you provide in order to access an app. They vary in their privacy policies, and the policies are not always made explicit. Never give your Social Security number or important passwords. If you’re required to make up a password, make it unique to that app — don’t use the same password you use to access other websites.

Turning to quitlines

If you live in the United States and you want personalized support and help for quitting tobacco or nicotine, there’s no better place to start than 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669). For Spanish speakers, call 855-DEJELO-YA (855-335-3569). Calling these numbers will automatically connect you with your local state quitline. Asian smokers can call 800-838-8917 for Mandarin and Cantonese, 800-556-5564 for Korean, or 800-778-8440 for Vietnamese. For more information, go to www.asiansmokersquitline.org. The Veteran’s Administration also staffs a quitline especially for vets at 855-QUIT-VET (855-784-8838).

You’ll be able to talk to a counselor with training in smoking cessation. Counselors are ready to give advice on medications, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and other strategies for stopping smoking or vaping. They can give you support through text messaging and email. This service is available 24/7 so you can call them when you’re desperate, even at 2 a.m. We give this service our gold-star rating! It’s the only line we feel is worthy of your attention. Sometimes there’s something to be said about one-stop shopping.

Tip Watch out for smoking cessation websites sponsored by commercial interests. Poke around in the fine print at the bottom of the page — you can usually figure the sponsor. Sometimes they disguise their sponsorship with initials. Google the initials when you aren’t sure about a website. You don’t have to pay for a quality quitline. And you want unbiased information rather than what some tobacco or pharmaceutical company may recommend.

Tapping out texts

Most phone assistance does not come in the form of texting, but through apps and quitlines. However, if you like to text, Smokefree.gov offers a free text messaging program that you can opt into or out of at any time. Here’s how to sign up:

  1. Go to www.smokefree.gov.
  2. Click Tools & Tips.
  3. Click Smokefree Texting Programs.
  4. Under SmokefreeTXT, click Sign Up Now.
  5. Enter the required information.
  6. Click Submit.

Tip Message and data rates may apply depending on your wireless provider’s plan. Nowadays, many people have unlimited text messaging plans, but if you’re not sure what your plan allows, check with your carrier.

You’ll receive an instant welcoming text. The program checks in with you periodically. If you’re having a tough moment, text “crave,” “mood,” or “slip,” and you’ll receive advice on getting through. The following are actual texts that we received when trying out this program:

  • Crave: “Take ten deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Appreciate your smoke-free lungs.”
  • Crave: “We know the feeling. Think about what you’re gaining and why you want to leave cigarettes behind. Stay focused — it will get easier.”
  • Mood: “Like you thought this would be easy? Quitting sucks but the effects of smoking suck more. Yes, it’s hard, but the rewards are huge.”
  • Mood: “Surround yourself with supporters. Talk and do things with other people even if you don’t feel like it, to boost your mood.”
  • Slip: “Ditching your quit because of a slip is like slashing your other three tires because you got a flat. Focus on your successes and keep going.”
  • Slip: “Quitting is tough and mistakes happen. The most important thing is to keep going! Learn from this. Forgive yourself. Now move on.”

This program automatically terminates after six weeks. But if you haven’t stopped yet, you can renew it. If you want to end it sooner, you simply reply, “Stop.” It doesn’t get any easier than that. By the way, when you text “Stop,” you receive a friendly text telling you if you want to start again just text the word, “New” and you can change your mind.

Remember The prompts you receive from this text-messaging program can feel spot-on and personal. However, they’re artificially generated and may sometimes miss the target. Don’t take it personally. If you like texts, you may find this text-messaging program to be an additional support for your quit plan.

Tip Young people (ages 13 to 24) who are interested in quitting vaping can access a free mobile program through the Truth Initiative that includes text messaging support. You can sign up at www.truthinitiative.org/thisisquitting.

Assessing apps for assistance

The bottom line for using apps to quit smoking is they’re not enough by themselves to serve as tools or guides for quitting smoking. Formal studies on their effectiveness are too limited to make strong recommendations. However, our take is that most of what they provide is reasonable from a scientific basis. What they do best is help you with tracking your progress and bumps in the road. They are not robust in delivering advice on a full range of strategies. That doesn’t mean they have no value; it’s just that they should be combined with other approaches reviewed in this book.

Having said that, we should note that smoking-cessation apps are becoming better and more personalized over time. We suspect that with continued advances in artificial intelligence technologies, smoking-cessation apps will eventually become a mainstay approach to those wanting to quit smoking or vaping.

To get ready to write this section, we downloaded lots of apps. We wanted to not only read the reviews, check the stats, and dig into privacy, but also experience for ourselves what you do when downloading and accessing smoke apps that promise you help.

Before we get into specifics about the apps, we have some general observations:

  • Some of the apps start out free but pester you frequently to upgrade. Sometimes the cost of the upgrade is minimal, but it felt annoying to us.
  • Other apps offer products for sale. Again, mostly no hard sale tactics, but you may find that annoying, too. We point these out in our discussion.
  • A few apps are quite cute and engaging. That may sound superficial, but in terms of your likelihood of continuing with the app, design matters.
  • Privacy is an issue on any app. Many of the privacy statements are hard to find and even harder to decipher. Don’t share financial information that could lead to someone getting into your personal bank account. Unless rules are made clear, visible, and explicit, you may be giving your information to a third party.
  • These apps should not need much personal information about you other than your approximate age, gender, phone number, email address, zip code, and sometimes your permission to track your location.

We confess that we gave the wrong birthdate when signing up for apps to sample. You can obscure your personal information, too. But don’t make your information stray too far off from reality. For example, if you smoke a pack a day, say that — no one is going to be able to identify you with that small bit of information. And if you’re 22 years old, don’t say you’re 65 or if you’re 75 don’t say you’re 18 (even if you’d like that to be true). You’re likely to get better advice.

Next, we review a few of the apps that have received significant attention from the public and/or professionals. We make no specific recommendations as these apps evolve over time. Again, these should all be considered as potentially useful adjuncts to your efforts.

QuitGuide

You can access this app from the Apple Store where users have rated it at 4.2. It’s also available on Google Play, where it sports a rating of 4.0.

  • Cost: Completely free.
  • What it does: Tracks progress, cravings, moods, and slips. Identifies triggers, including time and location, and sends heads-up motivational messages as indicated. Also shows how much money you’re saving.
  • Bottom line: Easy to use. The location feature is interesting. You can drop a pin in a location that sets off strong cravings — the app will remember and send you a tip whenever you return to that place. Good, explicit privacy standards. Simple, appealing, engaging design. Unbiased source (U.S. government).

QuitStart

QuitStart, developed by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and www.smokefree.gov, can be found at Google Play with a rating of 3.5. Apple users rate that version more highly at 4.5.

  • Cost: Completely free.
  • What it does: Tracks progress, cravings, slips, and moods. Offers simple distracting games for dealing with cravings, provides inspirational statements and challenges about diet and lifestyle. Sends tips three times per day for two weeks and more often if you choose that option.
  • Bottom line: Good app, easy to use. Some tips are a bit hokey and challenges for improving your mood (like wear something colorful today) seem to have no clear rationale. Some reviewers complained about inaccurate data collection. Privacy standards are good and easy to access. Unbiased source (U.S. government).

QuitNow!

QuitNow! is available at both Google Play with a rating of 4.4 and at the Apple Store where it’s rated 4.6. It has more than 100,000 registered users and has been downloaded 1.5 million times.

  • Cost: The basic version is free. The pro version is $3.99.
  • What it does: Like most other apps for this purpose, it tracks progress (including days quit, cigarettes avoided, and money saved). It also alerts you to the health benefits you’re accruing as the days pass without smoking. It has a chatroom available.
  • Bottom line: Easy to use but has an annoying tendency to bombard the user with prompts to upgrade to the Pro version. Free version has pop up ads. However, user popularity ratings are quite high. Available in multiple languages. Privacy policy is easy to access.

Kwit

Kwit is available at the Apple Store with a rating of 4.6. You can also find it at Google Play with a rating of 4.0.

  • Cost: Free to download, but it limits use and delivers frequent prompts to upgrade to a relatively expensive subscription. The current cost is over $7.49 per month or about $29.49 for six months and $89.99 for a lifetime.
  • What it does: Tracks your smoking and provides fun game-oriented design to help people stick to their quit-smoking plan. You compete to reach higher levels and rankings. Ostensibly, you can shake your phone and receive a large number of motivational messages, but the function didn’t seem to work on the free download version.
  • Bottom line: Users report high satisfaction ratings. If you enjoy games and money is no issue, you may want to check it out. Just be aware that some available free apps appear to have similar ratings and a range of functions. Besides, they’re well, free.

Smoke Free

Smoke Free can be downloaded for free at the Apple Store with a rating of 4.8. You can also find it at Google Play, rated at 4.7. Obviously, people like it. They also have a smoke-free baby app version for women who are pregnant and wanting to quit smoking.

  • Cost: Free download, but with limited functionality. There is a modest, $4.99 one-time fee or, if you’re unsure that you want to stick with it, you can pay $0.99 weekly.
  • What it does: Keeps track of your cigarettes smoked, time you spend smoke free, and health improvements over time, and gives you so-called “missions” for dealing with cravings. You earn badges over smoke-free time. The app provides numerous stop-smoking tips.

  • Bottom line: The Quit Coach feature is automated but has a surprisingly personal feel. For example, we generated the following dialogue with the Quit Coach feature on the Smoke Free App:

    • Smoker: I feel like I won’t ever be happy again.
    • Quit Coach: Hope you don’t mind if I check, would you describe this as general craving to smoke?
    • Smoker: Nope
    • Quit Coach: Oops, sorry! I’m still very much in learning mode. Another go?
    • Smoker: Sure.
    • Quit Coach: What’s triggering your desire to smoke?
    • Smoker: Feeling empty.
    • Quit Coach: Might seem a silly question, but does this fall into the general category of feeling down, depressed, low, etc.?
    • Smoker: That’s right.
    • Quit Coach: Those cravings aren’t easy to deal with. Hope this tip helps… . Know that this feeling will pass. That can be enough to make you feel better now. Let it be.
    • Smoker: I’ll try this.
    • Quit Coach: Fantastic, I really hope it helps.

    So, in our opinion, the Quit Coach doesn’t exactly substitute for a live counselor or therapist. But it has the potential to help some folks who want a quick response — it’s available 24/7, unlike a real person. The app is well designed and unusually easy to navigate. Smoke Free has some very preliminary research backing its efficacy. And techniques the app uses seem reasonably consistent with scientific approaches. For $4.99, it seems worth the investment if it helps you quit smoking.

Quitter’s Circle

You can find Quitter’s Circle at the Apple Store rated at 3.8 and on Google Play with a 2.9 rating. Both ratings are lower than most apps we reviewed.

  • Cost: Completely free with no professional version.
  • What it does: The most unique feature of this app is that it helps you connect with supportive family and friends to help you with your quit plan. Your supporters all need to sign into the app. They’ll be notified of your progress, presumably so they can encourage and congratulate you. They’ll also be notified of your slips. The effectiveness of this approach no doubt depends heavily on having a truly positive, nonjudgmental group of family and friends.
  • Bottom line: Low ratings appear to be due to bugs and navigational difficulties. You can also make an appointment with a healthcare provider on another website called Doctor on Demand. It’s unclear how Doctor on Demand is more effective than talking with your own doctor. This app is produced by Pfizer (a pharmaceutical company) and the American Lung Association.

All other apps for smoking cessation

Okay, we’re tricking you with this heading. We’re not about to review all or even most smoking-cessation apps. There are too many and not enough pages in this book to review them. Here, however, are a few parting thoughts on apps for your quit plan:

  • Don’t spend much money. There are good apps available for free, and most others can be had for less than $5.
  • Beware of apps sponsored by commercial interests invested in selling products such as nicotine gum and lozenges.
  • Make sure you like the look and feel of any app you choose.
  • Read reviews on both the app store as well as independent sources when available.
  • Don’t believe unreasonable promises like “stop smoking in ten minutes.” If it sounds too good to be true… .

Technical stuff MindTools.io (www.mindtools.io) is a website hosted by a nonprofit group that hopes to give information to consumers of digital tools designed to improve quality of life and well-being, including quit-smoking apps. They use scientifically backed strategies to rate the potential of apps to deliver what they promise as opposed to rating merely on the basis of popularity. Although most of the apps we list have not been reviewed by MindTools.io, we think it’s a great place to get useful information and validation. Hopefully, with time, they will expand their list of products reviewed.

Turning to the Internet for Support

You can also get support from others by joining a chat room or support group on the Internet. For example, there are hundreds of Facebook support groups. All you need is a Facebook account. Other types of social media also provide various options for connecting with others.

Warning As you know, social media has proven vulnerable to hacks and malicious imposters so be careful and a bit skeptical before plowing ahead. You may want to avoid giving identifiable information. And, of course, don’t share any financial information.

Tip A safer way to get support on social media is simply to share your struggles and accomplishments with your followers and friends. We assume you’ll get support from them. If not, consider unfriending or unfollowing them.

Two more support groups available on the Internet include

  • SMART Recovery (www.smartrecovery.org): The acronym SMART refers to: Self-Management and Recovery Training. They have free support groups available to anyone wanting science-based addiction recovery. But they don’t claim any particular success rate for smoking cessation. They have both in-person and online groups. You can join online using a pseudonym.
  • Nicotine Anonymous (www.nicotine-anonymous.org): Nicotine Anonymous is a 12-step program similar to Alcoholics Anonymous. They provide online chat groups, telephone support, and in-person groups. Some smokers may benefit from the sponsors that are also available. The efficacy of 12-step programs is controversial, but many people claim they’ve been helped by them. Many of the benefits of 12-step programs appear to come from the social support they provide.

Many other websites offer resources and basic information about health effects from smoking and vaping, as well as tips for quitting (see Chapter 24 for a list of online resources).