Increasing smoking cessation (SC) rates through Facebook (FB). ("ToKANA")

There is evidence that social media offer a great field for successful health interventions through enhancement of commitment and social support. FΒ was shown to be a feasible and acceptable environment to achieve smoking cessation interventions. We present the case of 12 smokers attending the SC outpatient clinic that additionally created a FB closed-group, in a self-motivated attempt to support each other. All smokers (characteristics shown at table 1), attended 4 behavioral counseling sessions and 91% used pharmaceutical treatment and followed for additionally 3 months. They all consider themselves to be skilled FB users with 66% reporting daily use of social media. 53% of the participants mentioned that they attended the closed-group daily, while the rest around 3 times a week, all of them both sharing posts and “liking” others’ posts. 83% succeeded in quitting in 4 months and still are participating at the group. All of the members reported that participation in such a group can play a supplemental role to the outpatient clinic, but all rejected replacement of in person visits. 58% believe that this could substitute some visits saving time, though not at the beginning of their attempt. All of them believe that their engagement to this group reinforced their attempts for smoking cessation. This case further supports evidence that FB-group based interventions enhance engagement to smoking cessation.