Tobacco Control Program
StatShot Vol. 4, No. 8/Sept. 2011
Major Reasons Given by Smokers Attempting to Quit
Quitting smoking is difficult and smokers generally make several quit attempts before
succeeding in long-term cessation. What motivates smokers to make quit attempts is important
to understand and can be leveraged by tobacco control programs through their media messages.
We asked current smokers who recently made a quit attempt, and recent quitters, what were the
most important reasons they had for trying to quit smoking.
 The vast majority of smokers who reported making a quit attempt cited concerns about
their personal health either currently (88%) or in the future (95%) as the primary reason
for trying to quit.
 Social and economic concerns were the next most frequently reported reasons motivating
smokers to quit. The effect of smoking on others including children, encouragement
from family, friends and/or health care providers, and the economic costs of smoking
were reasons for quitting cited by 54% to 70% of smokers and recent quitters.
 Just over 30% of smokers and recent quitters cited indoor smoking bans as a reason for
making a quit attempt. The percentage citing smoking bans may be lower than other
reasons given because smokers have either already quit or accommodated to New York’s
comprehensive indoor smoking law, in place since 2003.
Reasons for quitting among Current and Former Smokers
New York Adult Tobacco Survey, 2010
95%
100
90
87.7%
80
66.9%
Percentage
70
70.4%
68.1%
60
66.9%
53.7%
50
40
31.2%
30
20
10
0
Current Health Future Health
Indoor Bans
Effect on Others Encouraged by
Family/Friends
Reasons For Quitting
Sets Good
Example for
Children
Doctor/Dentist
Recommended
Costs
Source: New York State Adult Tobacco Survey, 2010. Contact the Bureau of Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance, New York State
Department of Health at (518) 473-0673 or type ‘StatShot’ in the subject line of an e-mail and send it to [email protected].