Are older adults more likely to receive support when trying to quit smoking?

Smoking Cessation Support for Older Adults

Older adults are less likely to receive support when trying to quit smoking compared to younger adults, despite having similar success rates when provided with appropriate interventions. 1

Support Disparities for Older Smokers

• Older smokers (age 70+) are significantly less likely to be referred for smoking cessation support, including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and counseling services, compared to younger smokers 1
• This disparity increases with age, with those 80+ years being over three times less likely to receive referrals for cessation support than those aged 16-54 years 1
• Despite being less nicotine-dependent than younger smokers, older adults report fewer quit attempts and are less likely to seek help from healthcare providers 1

Effectiveness of Cessation Interventions in Older Adults

• When older adults do receive smoking cessation interventions, they engage more thoroughly with the programs and have similar quit rates compared to younger adults 2
• In web-based smoking cessation programs, older adults demonstrate higher engagement through more sessions, unique days of use, and time spent on intervention websites 2
• Older smokers who participate in smoking cessation programs have comparable quit rates to younger adults (24% vs. 27%) 2

Barriers to Support for Older Smokers

• Healthcare providers may incorrectly assume that older adults are less interested in quitting or would benefit less from cessation 1
• There appears to be a disconnect between healthcare providers raising the topic of smoking (which occurs equally across age groups) and actually providing cessation support to older adults 1
• This represents potential missed opportunities for facilitating smoking cessation in older adults who could still benefit significantly from quitting 1, 3

Benefits of Cessation for Older Adults

• Smoking cessation at any age increases life expectancy and quality of life 3
• While the benefits of cessation may manifest somewhat more slowly in older adults, quitting remains the most effective way to reduce smoking-induced disease risks at all ages 3
• Approximately 70% of smoking-related deaths occur in those over 60 years of age, highlighting the importance of cessation efforts in this population 3

Effective Approaches for Older Smokers

• Varenicline appears to be particularly effective for older adults, with studies showing users of varenicline being 3.22 times more likely to quit compared to those using NRT 4
• Behavioral support combined with pharmacotherapy significantly increases cessation success rates 5
• Tailoring cessation approaches to older adults' preferences (e.g., print materials over digital resources) may improve engagement 5

Clinical Implications

• Healthcare providers should offer the same level of smoking cessation support to older adults as they do to younger smokers
• Comprehensive cessation programs should include both pharmacotherapy and behavioral support, which together provide the highest quit rates 5, 6
• Providers should be aware that older adults may have different preferences for receiving cessation information, with print materials often preferred over digital resources 5

The evidence clearly shows that older adults are underserved in smoking cessation support despite having good cessation outcomes when properly supported. This represents an important healthcare disparity that needs addressing through more consistent offering of cessation interventions to smokers of all ages.