Community-Driven Insights and Campaigns for Smoking Cessation
Community-led research shaped personalised campaigns and service improvements, helping Islington and Camden tackle smoking inequalities among priority groups.
More +Understanding smoking among routine and manual workers
We worked with the London Boroughs of Havering and Barking & Dagenham to explore smoking behaviours in routine and manual workers, and how best to engage them with cessation messages and services.
The mission
Reaching Smokefree 2030
With a national Smokefree 2030 target looming, the London Boroughs of Havering and Barking & Dagenham wanted to understand smoking behaviours of routine and manual workers. This population are shown to have higher than average smoking rates, and so are a key demographic to target with smoking cessation messages and support services. Social Change was therefore commissioned to undertake insight research to understand their current smoking behaviours, barriers and motivators to cessation, and perceptions towards current services and messaging.
The research
Building a qualitative case
We implemented a mixture of desk-research and qualitative engagement with people from various routine and manual occupations. Through 25 interviews and two focus groups, we engaged with people working in construction, hospitality, retail, cleaning and maintenance to explore their smoking stories – how long have they been smoking, what encourages them to do so, and whether quitting is something they would consider. We also co-designed future smoking cessation messages and services, identifying what support they feel would be beneficial to them and how best to engage them with stop smoking messages, encouraging behaviour change.
What we found
People want control and routine
The research showed that people wanted to feel in control of their decisions, and communications telling them to ‘stop’ smoking threatened this, especially when they were not considered as relatable in the first place. A mixture of routine, low self-efficacy and social pressures make it difficult for them to consider quitting – smoking has become a part of their lives and would be difficult to disentangle. This research demonstrated the importance of choice: placing the decision to stop smoking in their hands, but reassuring them that support is available when they’re ready.
The impact
This research informed a number of recommendations as to how future service provision and communications could better reach, engage, and support routine and manual workers to stop smoking. This includes relatable campaigns which don’t pressure people to stop smoking, but rather reassures them that there is support available when they’re ready. This is in addition to disentangling people from a ‘smoker’ identity, provide alternative ways to cope with stress and boredom, make it easier to engage with services, and provide a more holistic support offer, addressing the root cause of smoking behaviours.
As a result of these insights, we developed a range of behaviourally informed assets, including social media content, flyers, and billboards, designed to resonate with this audience and drive engagement across the Islington Borough.
41
qualitative engagements
6
behavioural insights
16
behaviourally informed recommendations
