title: Efficacy of an Internet and SMS-based integrated smoking cessation and alcohol intervention for smoking cessation in young people: study protocol of a two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tobacco smoking prevalence continues to be high, particularly among adolescents and young adults with lower educational levels, and is therefore a serious public health problem. Tobacco smoking and problem drinking often co-occur and relapses after successful smoking cessation are often associated with alcohol use. This study aims at testing the efficacy of an integrated smoking cessation and alcohol intervention by comparing it to a smoking cessation only intervention for young people, delivered via the Internet and mobile phone.
  
  
  METHODS
  A two-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial with one follow-up assessment after 6 months will be conducted. Participants in the integrated intervention group will: (1) receive individually tailored web-based feedback on their drinking behaviour based on age and gender norms, (2) receive individually tailored mobile phone text messages to promote drinking within low-risk limits over a 3-month period, (3) receive individually tailored mobile phone text messages to support smoking cessation for 3 months, and (4) be offered the option of registering for a more intensive program that provides strategies for smoking cessation centred around a self-defined quit date. Participants in the smoking cessation only intervention group will only receive components (3) and (4). Study participants will be 1350 students who smoke tobacco daily/occasionally, from vocational schools in Switzerland. Main outcome criteria are 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence and cigarette consumption assessed at the 6-month follow up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study testing a fully automated intervention for smoking cessation that simultaneously addresses alcohol use and interrelations between tobacco and alcohol use. The integrated intervention can be easily implemented in various settings and could be used with large groups of young people in a cost-effective way.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN02427446 (date of registration: 08th September, 2014).
authors.affiliation: Swiss Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction, Zurich University, Konradstrasse 32, 8031 Zurich, Switzerland. severin.haug@isgf.uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Severin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haug
authors.forename: Raquel Paz
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Filler
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kowatsch
authors.forename: Elgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fleisch
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Schaub
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D040421:Cell Phone; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012737:Sex Factors; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013557:Switzerland; D060145:Text Messaging; D055815:Young Adult