My QuitBuddy aims to help people quit smoking
The Australian National Preventive Health Agency (ANPHA) and media communications agency UM are launching My QuitBuddy, a program to help people quit smoking and stay smoke free.
My QuitBuddy is a highly intuitive digital program that can be personally customised by each user. Smokers can set their own goals, the reasons they are quitting, include photos and recordings of loved ones and even add buddies they can call upon in times of need. See the app here.
Says James Filmer, UM chief digital officer: “We have designed this app to provide vital support for people through the hardest periods in their quit smoking programs. It includes tips and distractions to overcome cravings and all the facts you need to understand the impact smoking has on your health. It is a highly personalised 24/7 tool.”
To summarise the enormity of the challenge for anti-smoking campaigns, tobacco smoking is one of the single largest preventable causes of premature death and disease in Australia, accounting for approximately 15,500 deaths per annum. Tobacco is responsible for more deaths in Australians up to age 64 than all deaths attributable to alcohol and illicit drugs combined across all age groups.
The My QuitBuddy app is so far designed to run on Apple iPhones or iPads, but after it’s initial launch this week a rapid development program is in place to make the app available to multiple mobile phone platforms.
Other features of the app include:
- An option to quit now or prepare to quit later
- My Goals: set your goals and add the support you need to achieve them
- Daily Message: for the first 30 days, you’ll receive a handy tip when you open the app
- Danger Times: nominate your vulnerable times and My QuitBuddy gets in touch to keep you strong
- Alerts: a series of scheduled alerts (such as congratulations, it’s been two weeks!) to keep users on track
- Visual icons: view your daily progress including how much money you’ve saved
- Distract Me: when cravings come, My QuitBuddy helps with a range of distractions
- Remind Me: a personalised slideshow reminds users why they decided to quit in the first place
- Buddy Up: supplies community notes from people who are also quitting and helps you access the Quitline or a nominated buddy
My QuitBuddy is now available as a free download.
Strategy and overall concept for the app were developed by UM, with design and development from mobile development specialists The Project Factor.