It’s well-known that peer pressure can be a huge factor in why young people begin smoking cigarettes. Now, with the help of social media, the tables can be turned and social support and accountability can help smokers quit.
A Facebook-powered campaign called Break It Off was created in Canada, and those smokers involved were more than twice as likely to succeed in quitting than those who used a phone hotline, according to a new study published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
“These finding suggest that the creators of public health campaigns need to evaluate how they use social media channels and social networks to improve health, especially with regards to younger demographics,” said Bruce Baskerville, a senior scientist at the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact at Waterloo, who led the study, EurekAlert! reported.
The Canadian government launched the Break It Off campaign in 2012, and it allows smokers to sync up their Facebook to publicly declare their intention to quit. Much like the “relationship status” feature on Facebook, Break It Off allows people to officially announce the end of their relationship with cigarettes.
There is not only something powerful about outwardly declaring intentions in general, but when it’s done through Facebook there is a different level of accountability, especially with those friends who smokers (or now non-smokers) actually see in person regularly.
Photo: Flickr user Qfamily
