About the STOP Study

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of different means of delivering smoking cessation treatment to smokers in Ontario who want to quit smoking.

A Brief History

The STOP Study recruited its first participant in October of 2005; since then more than 60,000 smokers have enrolled in the study to receive nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in combination with various degrees of counseling. The participants received the NRT free of charge and provided demographic and smoking-related information that helped the study investigators/researchers address the research questions.

So far, the study has distributed NRT and counseling to smokers in Ontario through participating Public Health Units, Tertiary Care hospitals, Community Health Centers, Aboriginal Health Access Centers and community pharmacies. NRT was also delivered via the mass distribution approach, wherein eligible smokers enrolled in the study over the telephone and received their NRT in mail.

Current Activities: New Opportunities for Smokers to Participate in the Study

In its newest initiatives the STOP Study has expanded to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of distributing two other smoking cessation medications, bupropion (Zyban®) and varenicline (Champix®). In the initial phase of this initiative, the study offered either of these medications to its participants. In the current phase, study only provides Zyban®. If you are a smoker and a resident of Ontario and you are interested in quitting smoking using Zyban® you may enroll in the study through this website (please start by visiting the Home page and follow the instructions under “How to Enroll”). Alternatively, if you are a smoker and a patient at one of our participating Family Health Teams (FHTs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) you may enroll in the study through your FHT and CHC.

How do you benefit from participating in this study?

Eligible smokers who enroll in the study will have access to free Zyban® to help them quit smoking. They may also receive weekly motivational emails free of cost.

Is your confidentiality protected if you participate in this study?

Safeguarding the confidentiality of the study’s participants is of the utmost importance. The information collected from the participants will be stored in a secured database with restricted access. No participant will be identified in any publication resulting from this research.

Who is in charge of this study and how is it funded?

The STOP Study is being conducted by scientists and smoking cessation specialists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto. Our team is lead by Dr. Peter Selby, a physician and researcher at CAMH. The study is primarily funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion.

Significance of This Study

The study will identify the optimal means of delivering effective smoking cessation treatment to a high number of smokers. Based on this knowledge healthcare policies can be modeled to substantially increase the number of ex-smokers, thereby reducing the prevalence of smoking. Even though the rate of tobacco smoking in Ontario has steadily declined over the past three decades, at 18% of the general population the prevalence of smoking remains a formidable cause of mortality and morbidity. Nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion (Zyban®) and varenicline (Champix®) are clinically proven medications that can double the chances of success in quitting smoking. However, survey results indicate that less than half of those who attempt to quit smoking use any of these medications. Therefore, wide-scale distribution of these clinical interventions has a great potential to reduce the prevalence of smoking.

Our Research Team