Table 6

New learning about smoking and health in the past six months among smoker and recent quitter respondents

Benchmark May 1997 (=1192)Follow up 1 Nov 1997 (n=2981)Follow up 2 Nov 1998 (n=1646)Follow up 3 Nov 1999 (n=1611)Follow up 4 Nov 2000 (n=1675)
*Benchmark v follow up 1, p <0.001.
†Follow up 1 to follow up 4, linear decline, p <0.001.
‡Follow up 2, follow up 3 v follow up 4, n.s.
§Follow up 1,2,3 v follow up 4, n.s.
¶ Benchmark v follow up 4, n.s.
**Follow up 2 v follow up 3, follow up 4, p <0.001.
††Follow up 4 v follow up 1, follow up 2, follow up 3, p <.0 001.
Learned anything new about the effects of smoking cigarettes on health in past six months:
    Entire sample14%23%*23%19%18%†
What learnt:
    Of those who learnt something newn=166n=670n=374n=309n=303
    Entire samplen=1192n=2981n=1646n=1611n=1675
    Clogged arteries 7% (1%)36%* (8%)19% (4%)22% (4%)17%†‡ (3%)
    Lungs are like sponges 7% (1%)20%* (4%)20% (4%)17% (3%)16%†§ (3%)
    Every cigarette is doing damage 5% (1%)17%* (4%)10% (2%)11% (2%)7%†¶ (1%)
    How smoking causes lung cancer11% (2%)11% (3%) 9% (2%)10% (2%)11% (2%)
    Causes strokes/clots in the brain25%** (6%) 7% (1%) 4% (1%)
    Loss of eyesight<1% (<1%) 1% (<1%) 2% (<1%)11%††(2%)