Bristol academics create smartwatch technology to help people quit smoking 

Technology in smartwatches could help people quit smoking, according to researchers from the University of Bristol. 

The team created software that uses motion sensors on an Android smartwatch to identify the typical hand movements of smoking.

Once detected, the app delivers a vibration alert with a text message designed by smokers and former smokers, offering support to stop smoking. 

After reading the message, participants can swipe it away or press a button to access NHS support pages. 

Chris Stone, of the University of Bristol’s Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, said: “For those who are trying to give up, an initial lapse is a vulnerable moment, and risks leading to a full relapse to smoking.

“People like smartwatches. They like the idea of it delivering a message at the point that they smoke.

“Therefore, if we can identify this point of lapse, and deliver an intervention precisely at that point, we have an opportunity to improve the success of the quit attempt.

“In carrying out this project, we have aimed to harness the latest thinking in intervention design, and deliver it in a convenient wearable package with minimal burden to the user and maximum engagement with behaviour change; and in doing so, make a difference to people’s lives.”

In the study, published in JMIR Formative Research, the smartwatch app was tested on 18 people who were interested in quitting smoking.

At the end of the two-week test period, they sent the watch back and completed a questionnaire. 

Positive feedback included people reporting that the app raised awareness of smoking, made them feel positive about quitting, made them stop and think, smoke slightly less, and it provided constant encouragement.

Negative responses were that repeated messages lost effectiveness, the message did not appear quickly enough, there was not enough variety of messages, and some were vague.

Alizee Froguel, prevention policy manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “Smoking is the biggest cause of cancer in the UK and stopping completely is the best thing you can do for your health.

“This study shows that smartwatches could be a useful method to help people quit smoking, but more research is needed to understand how effective they are.

“There are many tools available to help people quit, and getting support from your free local stop smoking service will give you the best chance of stopping successfully."

The researchers believe their app is the first just-in-time intervention for preventing smoking relapse that runs entirely on a smartwatch and does not need to be paired with a smartphone.

They are calling for a longer-term effectiveness trial to be carried out as the next step, which could use a greater variety of messages.