Page 126 - Petelin, Ana. 2024. Ed. Zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | Health of the Working-Age and Older Adults. Zbornik prispevkov z recenzijo | Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press

The main factors in maintaining smoking are addiction and loneliness.
When an older smoker calls Quitline, it is crucial to work on their
loneliness. We advise directing older adults to assistance programs in
their local environment. Everyone who comes in contact with older
smokers should be able to identify their specific needs and be able to
provide appropriate help. Quitline should always be offered as one of the
options.

Keywords: older adults, smoking, cessation, Quitline

Introduction
Smoking in old age is a public health problem. Older smokers are more suscep-
tible to a more severe course of disease and have a higher risk of serious com-
plications and death. There are many benefits to quitting smoking at any age,
but older smokers are often overlooked. Newer tobacco and nicotine products
126 may mislead them despite their long-term effects still being uncertain (Yao et
al., 2021). Research shows that 8-12 % of people over the age of 65 still smoke,
zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | health of working-age and older adults
more likely to be male than female. World No Tobacco Day 2023 highlighted
the need to focus cessation interventions on older smokers, as health risks only
increase with longer smoking duration. An analysis of 10 European countries
showed that changes in tobacco legislation reduced the prevalence of smoking
in the age group of 50-64 years, but not in those over 65 (Stival et al., 2022, Yao
et al., 2021, Satre et al., 2020, Viana et al., 2019, Jamal et al., 2018,).
A large Chinese prospective cohort study demonstrated a statistically sig-
nificant reduction in the risk of death from all cancers, stroke, and cardiovas-
cular disease when older smokers quit smoking (Lam et al., 2007).
Focus groups of older people in the USA revealed they use newer nicotine
products to abandon traditional cigarettes and as an alternative way to avoid
smoking restrictions. Their beliefs about the safety of e-cigarettes were incor-
rect. The promotion of e-cigarettes was seen as a way of renormalizing smoking
and immediate action is needed regarding the advertising of alternative nico-
tine products at the global level. At the moment this encourages dual use and
does not contribute to reducing nicotine addiction (Cataldo et al., 2015).
In England they examined how older smokers were treated in primary
health care. They found that smokers older than 75 years were less likely to re-
port deciding to quit or asking their GP for help. Primary care physicians ad-
dressed the smoking problem equally in all age groups, but those over 70 were
more likely not to receive advice about nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or
other forms of cessation assistance (Jordan et al., 2017).
The Slovenian National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ, 2022) reports
more than 50 % of smokers wish to quit. Many of them cannot succeed on their
own. In Slovenia, they can choose between group and individual counselling at
our Health Promotion Centers in Community Health Centers (insurance cov-
ered). Prescription drugs or over-the-counter NRT can be used in the form of