Provision of Service of a YQL Programme For Youth Smokers

Provision of Service of a Youth Quitline Programme For Youth Smokers

This project is funded by Department of Health. We will run a quitline which provides telephone smoking cessation counseling to youth smokers aged 25 or below. After baseline counseling based on trans-theoretical model, follow-up counseling will be provided by trained counselors (i.e. nursing students or students from other healthrelated disciplines) at 1 week, 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. It is expected that the quitline can assist youth smokers to quit smoking, thus saving the healthcare cost attributed to smoking in long-term.

This project will last for 15 months (from 1st Dec 2020 to 28th Feb 2022). Prior to commencement, a month will be spent on preparation, including setting up the quitline and website, designing and printing publicity materials, connecting with secondary and post-secondary schools and training peer counsellors. We will operate the quitline for 15 months and provide telephone counselling for eligible youth smokers. Self-reported quitters at 6-month follow-up will be invited for biochemical validation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 25 or below
• Self-reported to smoke any types of tobacco products within the past 1 month
• Speak Cantonese and
• Provide verbal consent to counselling service.

Exclusion Criteria:

• have psychiatric disease
• and/or currently receive any smoking cessation intervention from other service providers