Half of young smokers relapse after quitting, HKU project finds

About half of young people who received counselling from a University of Hong Kong smoking cessation project began smoking again within six months - despite having successfully quit in the first month - with slightly more women than men relapsing.

Among the 293 smokers who kicked the habit for a month, some 46 per cent took it back up by the sixth month, according to findings by the smoking cessation hotline Youth Quitline.

Since the hotline was set up in 2005, its operators have provided smoking cessation counselling services to 1,591 smokers aged 25 or younger. The counselling, offered by fellow students, consists of advice on ways to quit, followed by seven follow-up calls over a two-year period.

As added motivation, participants are rewarded HK$300 if they manage to stay smoke-free during the sixth month of their participation, but they must pass tests for carbon monoxide and nicotine percentages within the body. As of the end of January, the hotline had helped 335 people quit.

Young women showed a slightly higher relapse rate, with more than 51 per cent of female participants falling back into the habit within six months, compared to some 44 per cent of men.

While half of those who relapsed reported cravings as their main reason for taking up smoking again, the influence of peers was a close second.