The Impact of the Campaign on Reducing Cigarette Smoking Relapse.

Evidence-based mass-reach health communication campaigns can increase tobacco cessation, use of cessation resources such as quitlines, and change tobacco-related social norms. These interventions have been associated with a lower likelihood of cigarette smoking relapse in studies conducted internationally; however, no studies have assessed this outcome for a national campaign in the United States. This study examined the relationship between () campaign exposure and the odds of cigarette smoking relapse among adults who formerly smoked. Using data from the 2014 to 2019 longitudinal campaign surveys, we estimated first episode of relapse (versus remaining a former smoker) as a function of gross rating points (GRPs, a measure of media exposure). Higher levels of GRPs were associated with lower odds of relapse (aOR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.50-0.78). These results suggest that the campaign may reduce smoking relapse, in addition to the established effect of increasing smoking cessation. Former smokers can be considered a secondary target audience for smoking cessation mass media campaigns, and mass media campaigns could be considered a component of smoking relapse prevention efforts.