Evaluating Smoking Cessation Services in Citizens Advice Bureaus

This project evaluates a pioneering service at Citizens Advice Bureaus offering brief advice for stopping smoking, coupled with a referral to a stop smoking programme and a new financial incentive scheme. The service is designed for individuals facing financial hardships, with the goal of improving their health and economic situation by encouraging them to quit smoking.

Smoking is a major public health issue, causing significant morbidity and mortality, especially among lower socioeconomic groups. The University of Oxford, in collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council and local Citizens Advice Bureaus, is assessing the feasibility, acceptability, and engagement with this new service. By providing very brief stop smoking advice and the opportunity for financial incentives, the project aims to facilitate quit attempts among smokers in financial difficulty.

The outcomes of this research will inform improvements to the service and could potentially guide future policy and practice in smoking cessation. This initiative represents a crucial step towards reducing health inequalities and supporting Oxfordshire's ambition for a smoke-free community by 2025.