Proactive Minimal Cessation Advice Plus Nicotine Replacement Therapy (PMCAN) for Smoking Cessation in Smokers at Smoking Hotspots: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Many smokers cannot quit due to nicotine withdrawal symptoms, which peak at the first week of abstinence. Proactive recruitment of smokers is needed as most smokers do not seek smoking cessation (SC) services. A smoking hotspot (SH) is defined as a public outdoor place where smokers stop/linger and smoke. We aim to include a reasonably "representative" or unbiased sample of SH at different locations from all 3 regions of Hong Kong. We will randomly select 6 eligible SH (2 in each regions) from the 15 hotspots in our previous community trial.

Methods: Two trained SC ambassadors (student helpers) and one supervisor (experienced research assistant) will be deployed for each session of intervention at a SH. Potential subjects will be approached using the "a-foot-into-the-door" method in which SC ambassador will ask if smoker would like to reduce/quit smoking and receive SC intervention or advices. Smokers will be assessed for eligibility and informed written consent will be sought. Subjects will complete a brief self-administered questionnaire (baseline) using tablet. To reduce later hang-ups of telephone interventions or surveys, SC ambassador will save contact number of the trial into subjects' mobile phones.

Discussion: The findings will provide much needed and original evidence to support a main RCT on these new, proactive, simple and low-cost interventions for improving current SC services and policy for smokers who do not actively seek help from SC services in Hong Kong and elsewhere.