AI and smoking cessation: Pursuing solutions to quit cigarettes

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare industry has transformed how patients access healthcare services, products, and solutions over the years.

One often overlooked aspect of healthcare is smoking cessation. Earlier this year, a study on using deep learning for smoking detection through small data found that deep learning has great potential for detecting hidden advertising and quantifying tobacco-related media content. Researchers developed a model that achieved 74% accuracy for images and 98% for text, even with few training data.

This is an essential development in the pursuit of smoking cessation. According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 1.3 billion tobacco users in the world. Meanwhile, tobacco kills more than eight million people annually, making it an urgent public health concern. While the use of AI in promoting and facilitating smoking cessation isn’t necessarily new, recent developments in the field show potential promise for more efficient and effective AI solutions to smoking cessation in the future.

As previously mentioned, AI has seen numerous uses in the healthcare industry, whether for imaging analysis or treatment development, as well as a host of other uses. If you’re wondering how AI and smoking cessation can be connected, this post will take a deeper look at how AI is used in the pursuit of smoking cessation as well as other alternatives beyond AI:

One of the prominent uses of AI in smoking cessation is via chatbots. These AI-powered chatbots function like digital and automated health coaches to help guide smokers trying to quit their habit. In the US, Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center launched a free, AI-powered chatbot designed to help users quit smoking. The app, known as QuitBot, uses evidence-based strategies developed from over 20 years of research by experts at Fred Hutch. As mentioned, QuitBot guides users through the process of quitting through specially trained AI.

The use of a chatbot helps keep users engaged through quitting-related conversations. Smokers attempting to quit can also talk to the chatbot to get answers to questions or concerns they encounter throughout their quitting journey. These discussions cover a range of topics, from motivations to quit, setting a quit date, and recovering from lapses and relapses. Unlike other informational resources, QuitBot’s AI system helps provide personalized support to users through the convenience of their smartphones whenever they get a craving.

This AI-powered chatbot approach takes from its origins in SMS or text messaging interventions. With chatbots, digital smoking cessation takes the form of conversational agents that can mimic human communication and provide friendly, informative, and engaging answers that are relevant and science-based to help individuals attempting to quit. Previous, the World Health Organization also developed several smoking cessation chatbots using instant messaging platforms like Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat.

Another significant use of AI in smoking cessation is in research and development. Specifically, AI has also been used to identify potential smoking cessation medications. In 2023, researchers used AI to analyze data and find genomic variants associated with smoking. AI was able to look over existing data of 1.3 million people, and discovered several drugs that may be repurposed for treating nicotine addiction.

This use of AI is essential for providing an alternative approach to researching smoking cessation. Researchers noted that previous studies focused on European ancestry and lack of diversity, but using a genome-wide association study powered by AI can help look over data from more diverse ancestries. The factors researchers and AI looked over in this new study are the age of initiation of regular smoking, the amount of cigarettes smoked daily, smoking cessation, as well as smoking initiation. As a result, researchers were able to zero in on potential drugs that can be repurposed for smoking cessation treatment, such as dextromethorphan and galantamine, which are already being assessed in clinical trials.

The use of AI for research and development in smoking cessation also ties us back to our introduction, where research on depictions of smoking in media can help researchers better understand smoker behavior and what can be done to better strengthen the pursuit of successful and sustainable smoking cessation.

While the introduction of AI in the field of smoking cessation is certainly proving useful for smokers and researchers alike, it’s important to acknowledge the process made prior. Relying solely on AI can be challenging considering constant improvements and changes in the technology. Fortunately, many non-digital and non-AI products have long been available on the market.

Findings from Research and Markets indicate that the smoking cessation and nicotine de-addiction market is expected to reach $50.9 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 10.4% between 2024 and 2030. The rapidly growing market includes improved and innovative nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products , including nicotine chewing gums and transdermal patches.

Another popular alternative nicotine product is the rise of nicotine pouches. Insights on the global nicotine pouch market indicate that more and more smokers are considering the product as an alternative to conventional tobacco use. Part of the rise of “modern oral nicotine products”, nicotine pouches can be found in a wide variety of sizes, strengths, and flavors. Today, many reputable brands have invested in making nicotine pouches available and accessible to smokers trying to quit the habit. Many consumers who have switched to nicotine pouches came from traditional oral products like chewing tobacco (36%), cigarettes (20%), and vapes (25%).

Today, there are also other brands offering nicotine through safer ingestion instead of smoke or vapor inhalation, which has been shown to impact the lungs. Many modern nicotine product brands market their offerings to be used alongside support or community apps, including vaping cessation smartphone apps like Escape the Vape, Quit Vaping Addiction Calendar, and Quit Vaping – For Good, where smokers and vapers can share tips and insights via community forums. Brands like Lucy offer Instagram-friendly nicotine gum through more approachable product packaging. Meanwhile, a company called Jones offers FDA-approved nicotine lozenges alongside a support app and “Quitter” dad hats to make smoking cessation more marketable and accessible. Jones offers 4 mg and 2 mg nicotine lozenges as the basis of their treatment program, including a 30-day SMS text program for additional support.

Ultimately, the use of AI in smoking cessation can contribute significantly to reducing smoking rates around the world. In a previous post, we highlighted how data science in the healthcare industry is being used to prevent future pandemics. This includes the ability to better identify people at risk of certain diseases, find candidates for clinical trials, and developing new therapies. The push for AI and the rise of alternative products on the market can be combined to make the world a more smoke-free environment for everyone.

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