“Quit Cold Turkey”: Effects of a Quit-and-Win Smoking Cessation Challenge Offered at Christmas on Abstinence, Daily Cigarette Intake, and Cravings

Quit-and-win contests are one way to motivate smokers to quit smoking. This study assessed whether a quit-and-win contest offered at Christmas time using a turkey as the prize would influence smoking outcomes for two severity levels of nicotine dependent cigarette smokers. Minimally dependent and dependent cigarette smokers were assessed for abstinence, number of cigarettes smoked per day, and craving outcomes pre- and post-contest using both per protocol and intent-to-treat [ITT] analyses of secondary program evaluation data. Overall, of the participants who completed the challenge, 32% quit smoking in per protocol analyses. Individuals who were unable to quit smoking entirely were able to significantly reduce the number of cigarettes they smoked daily and their cravings in both per protocol and ITT analyses. Comparisons between nicotine-dependent smokers versus minimally dependent smokers revealed that the former benefitted more in terms of both reduced cravings and number of cigarettes smoked, but only in the per protocol. The findings suggest that a quit-and-win challenge offered at Christmas time can help reduce smoking and cravings in both highly and minimally dependent smokers. We discuss the possible mechanisms involved (e.g., extrinsic and intrinsic motivation) and the need for a controlled trial in future.