Utilization of Smoking Cessation Support Among Adults - 18 PLADs, China, 2020.

What is already known about this topic?: In 2018, unassisted smoking cessation (USC) was the predominant method for quitting smoking among Chinese adult smokers, accounting for 90.1% of cases. The utilization of professional smoking cessation support was comparatively low in this population.

What is added by this report?: In 2020, the prevalence of USC methods increased to 93.1%. Concurrently, there was a slight increase in the utilization of pharmaceuticals (from 4.6% in 2018 to 5.5% in 2020) and counseling and quit line services (from 3.2% in 2018 to 7.5% in 2020). On the other hand, the use of e-cigarettes as a cessation aid decreased from 14.9% in 2018 to 9.8% in 2020. Smokers aged 15-24 years old were more likely to rely on pharmaceutical interventions (7.9%), and less likely to choose USC methods (79.0%).

What are the implications for public health practice?: The promotion of professional cessation support is essential for enhancing smoking cessation rates.