Almost half of young smokers try to quit each year, and many are highly motivated, but few use proven smoking-cessation treatments, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Researchers compared smokers ages 18-24 to older adult smokers and found that 70 percent of both groups said they wanted to quit. But just 4 to 5 percent of young adults used behavioral treatments such as group classes or quit lines to help them quit, and only 17 percent used pharmacotherapy such as nicotine gum, patches, or bupropion.

Most relied primarily on support from friends or family as they tried to quit. "Receiving advice from health-care providers, having higher educational attainment, and having health insurance that might cover the cost of treatment are associated with using proven treatments," said lead author Susan Curry. "However, young adults are less likely to have health insurance, less likely to go to the doctor, and when they do go to the doctor they are much less likely to be asked about their smoking and to be advised to quit."

"We don't know from this study whether the issue is lack of interest in treatment, lack of awareness of treatment, or lack of treatments that appeal to young adult smokers," Curry added. "There's definitely room for more research to understand how we might spur demand for treatment among young adult smokers."

The research appears in the August 2007 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.