Smoking Prevention Strategies: Identifying Initiation and Cessation Reasons and Intervention Methods

The aim of this study is to gather specific data concerning smoking, elucidate the reasons behind individuals' initiation and cessation of smoking, explore strategies for preventing smoking initiation, and understand how to provide support for individuals who desire to quit. A cross-sectional study was conducted via face-to-face surveys on 309 individuals selected through systematic sampling among 5880 individuals aged 15 and over registered at a family health center in the Kayapınar district of Diyarbakır province in Türkiye between December 2016 and January 2017. The study found that 30.4% of the participants were current smokers, while 14.6% were quitters. Approximately 92% of the participants supported the law banning tobacco use in enclosed spaces. It was determined that before the age of 18, 78% of individuals tried smoking for the first time, and 47.5% of them started smoking regularly. The most common reasons for starting smoking were cited as peer influence, curiosity, and emulation. 66.3% of the participants indicated their support for a government-imposed complete ban, while 65% of smokers stated that they would quit smoking if such a prohibition were in place. The study identified a high prevalence of smoking in the region, and smoking initiation occurs at young ages. A notable proportion of smoking participants expressed a desire to quit; however, there appears to be a lack of support for those seeking to quit.