Professor Robert West
I want smokers to look at it as a choice. They could spend £7-£10 on a packet (or two) of cigarettes that will probably deprive them of around 6 hours of healthy life or a book that they will enjoy reading and could give them 10 more healthy years! I want smokers to have accurate information they can use any and every time they try to stop. I want smokers to understand why they smoke and find it hard to stop and know about all the ingredients they can put into their quit attempts and what the science can tell them about each one. And I want this to be a really good read that anyone would find interesting, whether or not they smoke.
The Smokefree Formula is released on Boxing Day so why is it better to start then rather than waiting till New Year to give up something like smoking?
It's released on Boxing Day to give smokers stopping in the New Year a few days to prepare if they want to - and about 50% do. But my research that shows that the date on which smokers stop is not particularly important - what matters is that they are ready to give it a really good go.
Why is smoking such a hard thing to give up?
Nicotine is absorbed very rapidly from each puff on a cigarette. This causes chemical changes in the brain which create urges to smoke in situations in which smoking normally occurs. In many smokers it also produces a 'hunger' for nicotine when levels in the brain fall below a certain level. This all takes place in the 'animal' part of the brain which evolved tens of millions of years before we showed up on the planet. So when the 'human' part of our brain is saying 'I want to stop smoking because it's not worth it - the animal part of our brain is saying JUST SMOKE.
Why were the interviews with ex-smokers so important to the book?
I wanted to bring alive the points made in the book and for my readers to be able to see all the different ways in which people like them can become smoke-free.
Tell us about the personalised formula that arises from reading the book.
Readers choose from a list of 29 ingredients that they can put into their quit attempt, from electronic cigarettes to breathing exercises. I tell them what is known about the effectiveness of each of these but the rule is: I guide, you decide. With this personalised smokefree formula they can really give stopping their best shot. I don't guarantee success because that would be stupid and fake. But I advise on what will truly give them the best chance of lasting success. And the great thing is that if they don't succeed this time - the next time they try they have not lost anything - it's another roll of the dice.
How much have e cigarettes revolutionised smoking?
It's early days but they could help millions of smokers to come off cigarettes if the technology continues to advance. They won't be for everyone but they are definitely something I would consider putting in the formula. The SmokeFree Formula website (www.smokefreeformula.com) will keep readers up to date with the latest developments.
Please can you tell us a bit about your professional background.
I started doing research in this area in 1982. A large part of my work has been to find better and better ways of helping smokers to stop if that is what they want to do. I am a Professor at University College London and Editor-in-Chief of one of the top scientific journals in the area, called Addiction. My website is www.rjwest.co.uk. I advise governments and health services around the world on smoking and helped write the blueprint for national network of stop smoking services. I would not have even attempted to write this book had I not been assisted by my son, Jamie West who is a musician and writer (www.jamiewest.net) and by Chris Smyth who is Health Correspondent of The Times. With their support I have tried to write a book that speaks personally to smokers as though we were chatting over a nice meal. I hope I have succeeded.
What is next for you?
I'm very excited about the website that I have had made to go with the book (www.smokefreeformula.com). It will go live in January. The website allows smokers to register their quit attempts and tell it what ingredients they are using. It then tracks their progress and can feed them back on a daily basis how many people are using each ingredient and how successful they are being with it. That way we can quickly update the information in the book about what ingredients are giving best results and with whom. And of course I and my research team will be continuing to research better and better ways of stopping smoking.