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  • Research

    Research

    We are committed to developing the evidence base for smoking cessation, and our workplan includes series of research projects.

    Click on the links below to find out more about the research underpinning our work, and the studies we've published.

    Evidence underpinning NCSCT activities

    It is important that NCSCT activities are founded on the best possible evidence of need for these activities, the nature of those activities, and the effectiveness of these activities.

    Academic links

    The research activities of the NCSCT were originally carried out by a team of experts at University College London. This programme of work was led by Professor Susan Michie and Professor Robert West along with a team including Dr Andy McEwen, Dr Emma Beard, Dr Leonie Brose (Institute of Psychiatry) and Fabiana Lorencetto (City University).

    Below we list the main findings from NCSCT publications with the citation for these papers.

    Advice on service provision

    "The English Stop Smoking Services have had an increasing impact in helping smokers to stop in their first 10 years of operation and successfully reached disadvantaged groups. However, performance across local services has varied considerably."

    [West R, May S, West M, Croghan E, McEwen A (2013) Performance of English stop smoking services in first 10 years: analysis of service monitoring data. British Medical Journal, 47:f4921.]

    "Stop smoking services may enhance success rates with disadvantaged smokers if they promote use of open groups."

    [Hiscock R, Murray S, Brose L, McEwen A, Leonardi-Bee J, Bauld L (2013) Behavioural therapy for smoking cessation: the effectiveness of different interventions for disadvantaged and affluent smokers. Addictive Behaviours. In Press.]

    "A substantial part of commissioning of Stop Smoking Services in England appears to take place without adequate consultation of evidence-based guidelines or specification of the service to be provided. This may account for at least some of the variation in success rates."

    [McDermott M, Thompson H, West R, Kenyon J, McEwen A (In Press) Translating evidence-based guidelines into practice: A survey of practices of commissioners and managers of the English Stop Smoking Services. BMC Health Services Research]

    "Routine clinic data support findings from randomised controlled trials that smokers receiving stop-smoking support from specialist clinics, treatment in groups and varenicline or combination NRT are more likely to succeed than those receiving treatment in primary care, one-to-one and single NRT."

    [Brose L, West R, McDermott M, Fidler J, Croghan E, McEwen A (2011) What makes for an effective stop-smoking service? Thorax. 66(10), 924-6. Doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2011-200251]

    "Most NHS Stop-Smoking Services appear to provide relapse prevention interventions for clients despite there being no evidence that these are effective."

    [Agboola, S.A., Coleman, T.J., Leonardi-Bee, J.A., McEwen, A. & McNeill, A.D. (2010) Provision of relapse prevention interventions in UK NHS Stop Smoking Services: a survey. BMC Health Services Research, 10, 214. Doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-10-214]

    "Telephoning smokers from GP lists is a cost-effective method of prompting quit attempts using NHS Stop-Smoking Services."

    [McEwen, A., Condliffe, L. & Gilbert, A. (2010) Promoting engagement with a Stop Smoking Service via pro-active telephone calls. Patient Education and Counselling, 80: 277-279. Doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2009. 11.009]

    Assessment and training

    "There are significant deficiencies in training and supervision of Stop-Smoking Practitioners in England, more so for ‘community’ (for whom smoking cessation is a small part of their role) than ‘specialist’ practitioners."

    [McDermot M, West R, Brose L, McEwen A (In Press) Self-reported practices, attitudes and levels of training of practitioners in the English NHS Stop Smoking Services. Addictive Behaviors.]

    "Whilst behaviour change techniques associated with effective smoking cessation support in pregnancy can be identified from high quality RCTs, English Stop-Smoking Services appear to use only a proportion of these."

    [Lorencatto F, West R, Michie S (In Press) Identifying evidence-based behaviour change techniques to aid smoking cessation in pregnancy. Nicotine & Tobacco Research.]

    "A significant minority of Stop-Smoking Practitioners and Stop-Smoking Managers believe that NRT use for smoking reduction can be harmful to health and undermine smoking cessation."

    [Beard E, McDermott M, McEwen A, West R (In Press) Beliefs of stop smoking practitioners in England on the use of nicotine replacement therapy for smoking reduction. Nicotine and Tobacco Research. Doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntr260]

    "It is possible to identify specific knowledge and skills required for delivery of effective behavioural support for smoking cessation. This approach can form the basis for development of assessment and training of stop smoking specialists."

    [Michie S, Churchill S, West R (2011) Identifying evidence-based competences required to deliver behavioural support for smoking cessation. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 41(1), 59-70. DOI 10.1007/s12160-010-9235-z]

    "It is possible to code reliably group-specific behaviour change techniques for smoking cessation. Fourteen such techniques are present in guideline documents of which two appear to be associated with higher short-term self-reported quit rates when included in treatment manuals of English Stop-Smoking Services."

    [West R, Evans A, Michie S (2010) Behaviour change techniques used in group-based behavioural support by the English Stop-Smoking Services and preliminary assessment of association with short-term quit outcomes. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 12(7), 742-747. Doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntq074]

    "It is possible to develop a reliable taxonomy of behaviour change techniques used in behavioural support for smoking cessation which can provide a starting point for investigating the association between intervention content and outcome and can form a basis for determining competences required to undertake the role of stop smoking specialist."

    [Michie S, Hyder N, Walia A, West R (2011) Development of a taxonomy of behaviour change techniques used in individual behavioural support for smoking cessation. Addictive Behaviors, 36 (4), 315-319. Doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.11.016]


    Online knowledge training course

    "Knowledge required to deliver effective stop smoking intervention is improved substantially after using the NCSCT online training programme. Practitioners with all levels of prior knowledge benefit."

    [Brose, L.S., West, R., Michie, S., Kenyon, J. & McEwen, A. (In Press). Effectiveness of an Online Knowledge Training and Assessment Program for Stop Smoking Practitioners. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, Online first 16 Jan 2012, doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntr286]

    "The 30-minute online training on VBA appears to have produced positive changes in GP's self-reported knowledge, self-efficacy and clinical practice in addressing tobacco use with patients."

    Papadakis, S, McEwen A, Walsh K. E-Learning on very brief advice on smoking (VBA): Changes to knowledge, self-efficacy and clinical practice of general practitioners. Smoking in Britain, 2019;7(9).

    Two-day skills training course

    "The two-day skills training course leads to a substantial increase in participants’ ratings of their confidence and skills."

    [Brose, L.S., Michie, S., West, R. & McEwen, A. (Under review) Evaluation of face-to-face courses in behavioural support for Stop-Smoking Practitioners. Journal of Smoking Cessation]

    Online training course for GPs in delivery of very brief advice on smoking

    "Offer of help with stopping by a GP appears to be more effective than advice to stop in promoting smoking cessation."

    [Aveyard, P., Begh, R., Parsons, A. and West, R. (2012), Brief opportunistic smoking cessation interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare advice to quit and offer of assistance. Addiction. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03770.x]



    NCSCT publications

    It is important that NCSCT research evaluating our training and assessments programme, and into the delivery of behavioural support, is published in peer-reviewed academic and clinical journals. This ensures that we can be confident that what we do is based upon evidence.


    The following is a list of our publications to date:

    • Papadakis, S., Anastasaki, M., Papadaki, M., Antonopoulou, M., Chliverous, C., Daskalaki, C., Varthalis, D., Triantafyllou, S., Vasilaki, I., McEwen, A. & Lionis, C. ‘Very Brief Advice’ (VBA) on Smoking in Family Practice: A qualitative evaluation of the tobacco user’s perspective. Submitted to BMC Family Practice.

    • Papadakis, S, McEwen A, Walsh K (2019) E-Learning on very brief advice on smoking (VBA): Changes to knowledge, self-efficacy and clinical practice of general practitioners. Smoking in Britain, 7(9). https://www.smokinginbritain.co.uk/read.

    • McEwen, A., Pooler, J., Lionis, C., Papadakis, S., Tsiligianni, I., Anastasaki, M., . . .Sheraliev, U. (n.d.). (2019) Adapting Very Brief Advice (VBA) on smoking for use in low-resource settings: Experience from the FRESH AIR project. Journal of Smoking Cessation, 14(3)1-5. doi:10.1017/jsc.2019.4.

    • Cooper, S., Orton, S., Campbell, K., Ussher, M., Coleman-Haynes, N., Whitemore, R., Dickinson, A., McEwen, A., Lewis, S., Naughton, F., Bowker, K., Sinclair, L., Bauld, L. & Coleman, T. (2019) Attitudes to e-cigarettes and cessation support for pregnant women from English Stop Smoking Services: a mixed methods study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 16(1), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16010110 (registering DOI).

    • Aveyard et al. (2018) Effects on abstinence of nicotine patch treatment before quitting smoking: parallel, two arm, pragmatic randomised trial. BMJ 2018;361:k2164, doi: 10.1136/bmj.k2164.

    • Hiscock, R., Arnott, D., Dockrell, M., Ross, L. & McEwen, A. (2018) Stop Smoking Practitioners’ understanding of e-cigarettes’ use and efficacy with particular reference to vapers’ socioeconomic status. Journal of Smoking Cessation, doi:10.1017/jsc.2018.9.

    • Simonavicius, E., Robson, D., McEwen, A. & Brose, L.S. (2017) Cessation support for smokers with mental health problems: a survey of resources and training needs. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 80: 37-44.

    • Forman, J., Harris, J., Lorencatto, F., McEwen, A. & Duaso, M. (2017) National survey of smoking and smoking cessation education within UK midwifery school curricula. Nicotine and Tobacco Research: 591-596. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntw230.

    • Kruse, G.R., Rigotti, N.A., Raw, M., McNeill, A., Murray, R., Piné-Abata, H., Bitton, A. & McEwen, A. (2016) Content and Methods used to Train Tobacco Cessation Treatment Providers: An International Survey. Journal of Smoking Cessation, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jsc.2016.22.

    • Herold, R., Schiekirka, S., Brown, J., Bobak, A., McEwen, A. & Raupach, T. (2016) Structured Smoking Cessation Training for Medical Students: a prospective study. Nicotine & Tobacco Research Nicotine, 18 (12): 2209-2215.

    • Brose, L.S. & McEwen, A. (2016) Neighbourhood deprivation and outcomes of stop smoking support - an observational study. PLOS one, 11(1):e0148194. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148194.

    • Bauld, L., Hiscock, R., Dobbie, F., Aveyard, P., Coleman, T., Leonardi-Bee, J., McRobbie, H. & McEwen, A. (2016) English Stop Smoking Services: one year outcomes. IJERPH, 13(12), 1175; doi:10.3390/ijerph13121175.

    • Kruse, G.D., Rigotti, N.A., Raw, M., McNeill, A., Murray, R., Pine-Abata, H., Potts, J., Bitton, A. & McEwen, A. (2016) Tobacco Dependence Treatment Training Programs: An International Survey. Nicotine and Tobacco Research;18(5):1012-1018.

    • Campbell, K.A., Cooper, S., Fahy, S.J., Bowker, K., Leonardi-Bee, J., McEwen, A., Whitemore, R. & Coleman, T. (2016) Opt-out’ referrals after identifying pregnant smokers using exhaled air carbon monoxide: impact on engagement with smoking cessation support. Tobacco Control;0:1–7. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2015-052662.

    • Brose, L.S., McEwen, A., Michie, S., West, R., Chew, X.Y. & Lorencatto, L. (2015) Association of treatment manual use and training with successful provision of stop smoking support. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 1:34-9.

    • Hiscock, R., Bauld, L., Arnott, D., Dockrell, M., Ross, L. & McEwen A. (2015) Views from the coalface: what do English stop smoking service personnel think about e-cigarettes? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12: 16157-16167. doi: 10.3390/ijerph121215048.

    • Jones, L.L. & McEwen, A. (2015) Evaluating an online training module on protecting children from secondhand smoke exposure: impact on knowledge, confidence and self-reported practice of health and social care professionals. BMC Public Health, 15(1):1132.

    • Raupach, T., Al-Harbi, G., McNeill, A., Bobak, A. & McEwen, A. (2015) Smoking cessation education and training in UK medical schools: a national survey. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 17(3):372-5.

    • Hiscock, R., Goniewicz, M., McEwen, A., Murray, S., Arnott, D., Dockrell, M. & Bauld, L. (2014) E-cigarettes: views from smoking cessation practitioners. Tobacco Induced Diseases, 12(1):13. DOI: 10.1186/1617-9625-12-13.

    • Brose L, West R, Michie S, McEwen A (2014) Changes in success rates of smoking cessation treatment associated with take up of a national evidence-based training programme. Preventive Medicine, 69C, 1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.08.021.

    • West R, May S, West M, Croghan E, McEwen A (2013) Performance of English stop smoking services in first 10 years: analysis of service monitoring data. British Medical Journal, 47:f4921.

    • Brose L, West R, Stapleton J (2013) Comparison of the effectiveness of varenicline and combination nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation in clinical practice. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 88, 226-33. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2012.11.013.

    • Brose L.S., McEwen, A. & West R. (2013) Association between nicotine replacement therapy use in pregnancy and smoking cessation. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.04.017

    • Lorencatto F, West R, Seymour N, Michie S. (2013). Developing a method for specifying the components of behaviour change interventions in practice: The example of smoking cessation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 81(3), 528-44. doi: 10.1037/a0032106.

    • Brose L, West R, McDermott M, Fidler J, Croghan E, McEwen A (2011) What makes for an effective stop-smoking service? Thorax. 66(10), 924-6. Doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2011-200251

    • Lindson-Hawley N, Begh R, McDermott M, McEwen A, Lycett D (2013) The importance of practitioner smoking status: a survey of NHS Stop Smoking Service practitioners. Patient Education and Counselling. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2013.04.021

    • Hiscock R, Murray S, Brose L, McEwen A, Leonardi-Bee J, Bauld L (2013) Behavioural therapy for smoking cessation: the effectiveness of different interventions for disadvantaged and affluent smokers. Addictive Behaviours. In Press.

    • Hughes, L., McIlvar, M, & McEwen, A. (2013) How to advise and refer inpatients who smoke. Nursing Times, 109(1/2):14-18.

    • Stapleton J, West R, Hajek P, Wheeler J, Vageli E, Abdi Z, O’Gara C, McRobbie H, Humphrey K, Ali R, Strang J, Sutherland G (2013) Randomized trial of NRT, bupropion and NRT plus bupropion for smoking cessation. Addiction.

    • Wee LH, Bulgiba A, Shahab L, Vangeli E, West R (2013) Understanding smokers’ beliefs and feelings about smoking and quitting during a quit attempt: a preliminary evaluation of the SNAP model. Journal of Smoking Cessation.

    • Langley T, Lewis S, McNeill A, Gilmore A, Szatkowski L, West R, Sims M (2013) Characterising tobacco control mass media campaigns in England. Addiction.

    • Brown J, Hajek P, McRobbie H, Locker J, Gillison F, McEwen A, Beard E, West R (2013) Cigarette craving and withdrawal symptoms during temporary abstinence and the effect of nicotine gum. Psychopharmacology.

    • Taylor A, Thompson T, Greaves C, Taylor R, Green C, Warren F, Kandiyali R, Aveyard P, Ayres R, Byng R, Campbell J, Ussher M, Michie S, West R. (2013) A pilot randomised trial to assess the methods and procedures for evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Exercise Assisted Reduction then Stop (EARS) among disadvantaged smokers. NIHR HTA Report.

    • Beard E, Shahab L, Curry S, West R (2013) Association between smoking cessation and short-term health-care utilisation: results from an international prospective cohort study (ATTEMPT) Addiction.

    • McDermott M.S., Beard E., Brose L.S., West R. & McEwen A. (2013). Factors associated with differences in quit rates between ‘specialist’ and ‘community’ stop-smoking practitioners in the English Stop-Smoking Services. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 15(7), 1239-1247, doi: 10.1093/ntr/nts262.

    • Brose L.S., Tombor, I. Shahab, L. & West, R. (2013). The effect of reducing the threshold for carbon monoxide validation of smoking abstinence - evidence from the English Stop Smoking Services. Addictive Behaviors, 38, 2529-2531. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.04.006

    • Brose L.S., West R., Michie S. & McEwen A. (2013).Validation of content of an online knowledge training programme. Nicotine and Tobacco Research 15(5), 997-998. doi:10.1093/ntr/nts258

    • Brose L.S., West R. & Stapleton J.A. (2013). Comparison of the effectiveness of varenicline and combination nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation in clinical practice. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 88(3), 226-233. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2012.11.013.

    • Lorencatto F, West R, Christopherson C, Michie S. (2013) Assessing fidelity of delivery of smoking cessation behavioural support in practice. Implementation Science, 8 (40). doi: 10.1186/1748-5908-8-40.

    • Lorencatto F, West R, Stavri Z, Michie S. (2013). How well is intervention content described in published reports of smoking cessation interventions? Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 15(7), 1273-82. doi: 10.1093/ntr/nts266.

    • Agboola, S.A., Coleman, T.J., Leonardi-Bee, J.A., McEwen, A. & McNeill, A.D. (2010) Provision of relapse prevention interventions in UK NHS Stop Smoking Services: a survey. BMC Health Services Research, 10, 214. Doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-10-214

    • Aveyard, P., Begh, R., Parsons, A. and West, R. (2012), Brief opportunistic smoking cessation interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare advice to quit and offer of assistance. Addiction. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03770.x

    • Beard E, McDermott M, McEwen A, West R Beliefs of stop smoking practitioners in England on the use of nicotine replacement therapy for smoking reduction. Nicotine and Tobacco Research. Doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntr260

    • Lorencatto F, West R, Michie S (In Press) Identifying evidence-based behaviour change techniques to aid smoking cessation in pregnancy. Nicotine & Tobacco Research

    • McEwen, A., Condliffe, L. & Gilbert, A. (2010) Promoting engagement with a Stop Smoking Service via pro-active telephone calls. Patient Education and Counselling, 80: 277-279. Doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2009. 11.009

    • Michie S, Churchill S, West R (2011) Identifying evidence-based competences required to deliver behavioural support for smoking cessation. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 41(1), 59-70. DOI 10.1007/s12160-010-9235-z

    The NCSCT was set up by the English Department of Health on a three year grant; the report at the bottom of the page details the development of the NCSCT and its outputs between 2009-2012.

    • Michie S, Hyder N, Walia A, West R (2011) Development of a taxonomy of behaviour change techniques used in individual behavioural support for smoking cessation. Addictive Behaviors, 36 (4), 315-319. Doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.11.016

    • West R, Evans A, Michie S (2010) Behaviour change techniques used in group-based behavioural support by the English Stop-Smoking Services and preliminary assessment of association with short-term quit outcomes. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 12(7), 742-747. Doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntq074