世論 What Japan Thinks

With the rise in cigarette prices of approximately 100 yen per pack of twenty, adding roughly a third onto the price of the average brand, many smokers took this as an opportunity to quit. This recent survey from Macromill Research doesn’t look at what percentage quit, but instead focuses on how the quitters are coping.

Demographics

Over the 1st and 2nd of November 2010 500 members of the Macromill monitor group who had resolved to stop smoking following the tobacco price rise in October completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 68.4% were male, 12.8% in their twenties, 33.2% in their thirties, 31.8% in their forties, and 22.2% aged fifty or older.

I suppose it’s a good sign that at least some people are quitting, although looking at Q1 and from tales from smokers, relapses can happen at unexpected times, so after a month free from smoking one cannot really say one has kicked the habit. Furthermore, with the end of year party season coming up, thus placing the quitters around people smoking and around drink, the second and third greatest temptations according to Q3SQ1, the risk of relapse will be pretty high, I fear.

Research results

Q1: Including this time, how many times have you tried to stop smoking? (Sample size=500)

First time	31.6%
Twice	25.6%
Thrice	18.8%
Four times	5.4%
Five times	5.4%
Six times	0.4%
Seven times	0.8%
Eight times	0.2%
Nine times	0.0%
Ten or more times	4.8%
Don’t know	7.0%

Q2: Why did you think you ought to quit in October? (Sample size=500, multiple answer)

	All	Male N=342	Female N=158
Large price rise	92.4%	92.7%	91.8%
For health	50.0%	49.7%	50.6%
Number of smokers around me had decreased	26.6%	26.3%	27.2%
Family, partner recommended I quit	24.8%	25.7%	22.8%
Smoking areas were decreasing	22.2%	23.7%	19.0%
For beauty reasons	11.4%	2.3%	31.0%
Friends, colleagues recommended I quit	5.6%	6.1%	4.4%
On doctor’s instructions	4.0%	5.6%	2.5%
Because I had a child	2.8%	2.6%	3.2%
Work recommended I quit	2.0%	2.3%	1.3%
Other	7.0%	5.8%	9.5%

Interestingly, the decrease in smoking spaces only affected an eighth of those in their twenties but increasing with age up to a third of those in their fifties.

Q3: Are you still tobacco free? (Sample size=500)

	All	Male N=342	Female N=158
Yes, not smoked at all (to SQ2 onwards)	62.2%	60.5%	65.8%
Smoked a few, but still trying to quit (to SQ1 onwards)	17.6%	15.5%	22.2%
No, quit quitting (to SQ1)	20.2%	24.0%	12.0%

More older people had fallen off the wagon, with 24.3% of the over-fifties back to their old habit. However, although almost the same percentage of two packs a day or more people had restarted, 73.1% had managed to quit completely. Those with spouses or other family members who smoked were also more less than average to have managed to resist temptation.

For those who had given in to temptation, 1.1% didn’t manage a day, 4.8% two days, 10.6% three days, and 24.3% four days.

Q3SQ1: What situations found you gasping for a cigarette? (Sample size=189, multiple answer)

	All	Male N=135	Female N=54
When annoyed	43.4%	45.2%	38.9%
When someone beside me was smoking	30.2%	31.1%	27.8%
When drunk	15.3%	14.8%	16.7%
When I came across some cigarettes I’d bought before	11.1%	7.4%	20.4%
Unconsciously started smoking	10.1%	11.9%	5.6%
Fell into the habit of having a cigarette on waking	6.9%	6.7%	7.4%
When driving, stuck in a traffic jam	3.2%	4.4%	0.0%
Other	10.6%	9.6%	13.0%

Q3SQ2: What do you do to keep yourself from smoking? (Sample size=399, multiple answer)

	All	Male N=260	Female N=139
Suck on a sweet, chew gum to keep my mouth busy	47.6%	46.5%	49.6%
Drink lots of water	13.8%	13.5%	14.4%
Use electronic cigarettes	11.5%	13.1%	8.6%
Getting treatment from hospital	7.8%	8.8%	5.8%
Use a quit smoking pipe	6.3%	6.2%	6.5%
Use a nicotine patch	5.3%	6.2%	3.6%
Use nicotine gum	5.0%	5.8%	3.6%
Attend quit smoking therapy, lectures	0.5%	0.8%	0.0%
Other	3.3%	2.7%	4.3%
Don’t do anything	36.3%	37.3%	34.5%

Q3SQ3: How much have you spent on items related to quitting smoking in the last month? (Sample size=399)

	All	Male N=260	Female N=139
Under 500 yen	1.3%	1.2%	1.4%
500 to 999 yen	4.0%	3.8%	4.3%
1,000 to 1,999 yen	13.0%	11.2%	16.5%
2,000 to 2,999 yen	5.5%	5.0%	6.5%
3,000 to 3,999 yen	11.8%	10.4%	14.4%
4,000 to 5,999 yen	1.0%	1.2%	0.7%
5,000 to 9,999 yen	14.3%	16.5%	10.1%
10,000 yen or more	6.0%	6.5%	5.0%
Nothing	43.1%	44.2%	41.0%

The average spend was 2,188 yen; men spent 2,311 yen, women 1,959 yen.

Q3SQ4: Are you confident that you can continue to be smoke free? (Sample size=399)

	All	Male N=260	Female N=139
Yes	57.9%	61.2%	51.8%
Perhaps	33.8%	31.5%	38.1%
Perhaps not	6.8%	5.4%	9.4%
No	1.5%	1.9%	0.7%

Q4: When you weren’t smoking, what did you think was/is the time you most want to smoke? (Sample size=500)

	All	Male N=342	Female N=158
When annoyed	21.6%	19.6%	25.9%
After a meal	20.8%	20.5%	21.5%
When drinking alcohol	19.4%	20.2%	17.7%
When I have free time	12.8%	12.9%	12.7%
While working	4.4%	5.8%	1.3%
When driving	3.4%	4.4%	1.3%
When drinking coffee	3.0%	2.3%	4.4%
When chatting	1.4%	0.9%	2.5%
Other	9.0%	9.9%	7.0%

Those who had fallen off the wagon found after meals the hardest time. but those still resisting (or mostly resisting) find when annoyed or when drinking the most tempting.

Finally, there was a couple of demographic tables comparing those who continue to try to stop versus those who had given up.

D1: Sex versus non-smoking or relapsed. (Sample size=500)

	Male	Female
All	68.4%	31.6%
Non-smokers N=399	65.2%	34.8%
Relapsed smokers N=101	81.2%	18.8%

D2: Age versus non-smoking or relapsed. (Sample size=500)

	Twenties	Thirties	Forties	Fifty or older
All	12.8%	33.2%	31.8%	22.2%
Non-smokers N=399	13.5%	34.3%	31.1%	21.1%
Relapsed smokers N=101	9.9%	28.7%	34.7%	26.7%

D3: Smoking history versus non-smoking or relapsed. (Sample size=500)

	Less than 5 years	5 to 10 years	More than 10 years
All	11.6%	9.4%	79.0%
Non-smokers N=399	11.8%	10.8%	77.4%
Relapsed smokers N=101	10.9%	4.0%	85.1%

D4: Daily smokes versus non-smoking or relapsed. (Sample size=500)

	Less than 20	20 to 39	40 or more
All	49.0%	45.8%	5.2%
Non-smokers N=399	49.6%	45.4%	5.0%
Relapsed smokers N=101	46.5%	47.5%	5.9%