Support provided by stop smoking practitioners to co-users of tobacco and cannabis: a qualitative study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Support provided by stop smoking practitioners to co-users of tobacco and cannabis

T2 - a qualitative study

AU - Sumodhee, Dayyanah

AU - Walsh, Hannah

AU - Brose, Leonie

AU - McNeill, Ann

AU - McEwen, Andy

AU - Duaso, Maria J.

N1 - Funding Information: Primary funding: This study was supported by a grant funded by Cancer Research UK (grant number: C68935/A29849, MD). Funding Information: Role of funding source: The study was supported by Cancer Research UK, which had no role in data collection, analysis, interpretation, or reporting. Publisher Copyright: © 2024 Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

PY - 2024/1/1

Y1 - 2024/1/1

N2 - IntroductionCo-use of tobacco and cannabis is highly prevalent among cannabis users and is associated with poorer tobacco cessation outcomes. This study explored the barriers and enablers influencing stop-smoking practitioners’ ability to provide optimal support to co-users.Aims and MethodsOnline semi-structured interviews were audio recorded. Interviewees (n = 20) were UK-based certified stop-smoking practitioners. An interview schedule informed by the “capability”, “opportunity”, “motivation” (COM-B) model was designed to explore participants’ perceived barriers and enablers in better supporting co-users to achieve abstinence of both substances or tobacco harm reduction. The transcripts were analyzed using framework analysis.ResultsCapability: Practitioners’ lack of knowledge and skills undermines their delivery of smoking cessation interventions to co-users. Interestingly, when cannabis is used for medicinal reasons, practitioners feel unable to provide adequate support. Opportunity: Service recording systems play an important role in screening for co-use and supporting co-users. When responding to clients’ specific needs and practitioners’ uncertainties, a positive therapeutic relationship and a support network of peers and other healthcare professionals are needed. Motivation: supporting co-users is generally perceived as part of practitioners’ roles but there are concerns that co-users are less likely to successfully stop smoking.ConclusionsPractitioners are willing to support co-users, but their lack of knowledge and access to an appropriate recording system are barriers to doing so. Having a supportive team and a positive therapeutic relationship is perceived as important. Identified barriers can be mostly addressed with further training to improve tobacco cessation outcomes for co-users.

AB - IntroductionCo-use of tobacco and cannabis is highly prevalent among cannabis users and is associated with poorer tobacco cessation outcomes. This study explored the barriers and enablers influencing stop-smoking practitioners’ ability to provide optimal support to co-users.Aims and MethodsOnline semi-structured interviews were audio recorded. Interviewees (n = 20) were UK-based certified stop-smoking practitioners. An interview schedule informed by the “capability”, “opportunity”, “motivation” (COM-B) model was designed to explore participants’ perceived barriers and enablers in better supporting co-users to achieve abstinence of both substances or tobacco harm reduction. The transcripts were analyzed using framework analysis.ResultsCapability: Practitioners’ lack of knowledge and skills undermines their delivery of smoking cessation interventions to co-users. Interestingly, when cannabis is used for medicinal reasons, practitioners feel unable to provide adequate support. Opportunity: Service recording systems play an important role in screening for co-use and supporting co-users. When responding to clients’ specific needs and practitioners’ uncertainties, a positive therapeutic relationship and a support network of peers and other healthcare professionals are needed. Motivation: supporting co-users is generally perceived as part of practitioners’ roles but there are concerns that co-users are less likely to successfully stop smoking.ConclusionsPractitioners are willing to support co-users, but their lack of knowledge and access to an appropriate recording system are barriers to doing so. Having a supportive team and a positive therapeutic relationship is perceived as important. Identified barriers can be mostly addressed with further training to improve tobacco cessation outcomes for co-users.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85180539183&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/ntr/ntad115

DO - 10.1093/ntr/ntad115

M3 - Article

C2 - 37429576

SN - 1462-2203

VL - 26

SP - 23

EP - 30

JO - Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco

JF - Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco

IS - 1

ER -