1
Roadblocks To Quit Smoking Survey
23 October, 2006
2
Survey Overview
Organization Public Opinion Programme of the University of Hong Kong
Objective To understand the roadblocks smokers encountered in the process of smoking cessation
Date 19th Sept to 29th Sept, 2006
Methodology Telephone interview
Sampling Random sampling
Target 18-65 Cantonese speaking Hong Kong citizens who have attempted quitting smoking (both successful and failed)
Successful sample 500
Effective response rate 87.6
Sampling error Not more than plus/minus 4.4 percentage points at 95 confidence level.
3
Survey Findings

4
Smoking historyMean 17.4 years
33
10
16
11
Mean 17.4 years Error 0.36 year
19
10
Successful Sample 498
5
Average number of cigarettes smoked everyday 16.6
Average 16.6 cigarettes/day Error 0.28 cigarette
Successful Sample 498
6
Nearly 50 of respondents give up smoking for
better health
What is your major reason for quit smoking?
(multiple answer)
Successful Sample 500
7
Quit by willpower is the most common way for
smoking cessation
What method did you use to quit smoking?
Successful Sample 500, multiple answer
8
Heavy smokers also rely on willpower to quit
smoking
What method did you use to quit smokinig? ( for
those who smoke 16 cigarette daily)
Successful Sample 271, multiple answer
9
About 20 of respondents fail to quit smoking for
5 times or above
How many times did you fail to quit smoking?
Successful Sample 489
10
Respondents encountered symptoms like anxiety,
upset and depress during smoking cessation
Did you encounter these problems during smoking
cessation? (multiple answer)
Successful Sample 500
11
Smokers always crave for smoking at breakfast
time/ after meals
From the incidents listed below, to what extend
will they make you crave for smoking?
Successful Sample 500
12
More than half of the respondents will be more
determined to give up smoking due to enforcement
of the no smoking policy in public areas (e.g.
restaurants bars)
Will the enforcement of no smoking policy in
public area such as restaurants enhance your
determination of giving up smoking?
Successful Sample 464
13
Conclusion

• The survey indicates smokers used various methods
  to quit smoking. However, a substantial
  percentage of them experienced withdrawal
  syndromes such as anxiety, upset and depression.
  Further to that, even dinning and work may
  trigger the crave for smoking.
• The Legislative Council has just passed the
  Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2005
  which no-smoking zones will be expanded to more
  public areas including restaurants, indoor
  workplaces and karaoke, creating an urgency for
  smokers to quit smoking.
• To lower the failure rate of smoking cessation,
  there rests a need to educate the smokers the
  appropriate way to quit smoking.