SmokeLess Break Beats: Using Music to Help Quit Smoking

Boston: What happens when a smoker feels the urge to pick up their cigarette pack, but instead reaches for their iPhone, opens Spotify and listens to therapeutic music to help them quit smoking?

This is the idea behind the SmokeLess Break Beats initiative launched by the Berkeley Institute of Music and Health and Nicorette, a nicotine replacement product.

Concerns over tobacco use in the United States have led these two organizations to launch the program last month. According to the Federal Trade Commission's annual cigarette report, cigarette sales experienced their first growth in 20 years in 2020.

In July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered Juul to stop selling its popular e-cigarettes to minors. However, a federal appeals court temporarily blocked the ban.

Joey Allen, Founder and Acting Director of the Berkeley Music and Health Institute, stated that music therapy programs can provide relief for individuals who are experiencing increased stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, as well as assist them in quitting smoking.

If we look at the reasons why people smoke and the reasons why they don't succeed in quitting, we will know that withdrawal symptoms can cause emotional excitement; they can cause emotional fluctuations and increase anxiety," said Allen. "We know that music can help regulate these areas.

Music therapy is more than just searching for Beyoncé's latest album and pressing play. According to the American Music Therapy Association, the earliest mention of music therapy was in the late 18th century. Throughout the 20th century in the United States, music therapists established organizations and developed journals, books, and educational programs. The first academic program in music therapy was established at Michigan State University in 1944.

Music therapists use music and the relationships developed within and through music to influence specific health outcomes," said Allen, who founded the research institute in 2018.

According to information posted on the Nicorette website, students from Berkeley have created a series of unique tracks called "SmokeLess Break Beats" that are specifically designed to help suppress nicotine cravings. "Through the study of music science, we are deepening our understanding of the role that music can play in smoking cessation, providing a healthier way to take a break.

In order to promote music development, the research institute hosted a challenge in May which required students to create 10 to 15 minutes of original music for relaxation that targets physiological and emotional responses. Selected participants received a $500 allowance, while the winning composer received a $2,000 allowance.

The program provides a "breakdown list" for individuals seeking to slow down, release suppressed energy, advance, or re-focus their attention.

We believe that providing as many tools as possible to help smokers quit is important to us," said Pam Remash, the Director of Smoker Health Marketing at Haleon, the parent company of Nicorette. "This is another tool added to the toolkit, which is better than the power of adding music.

Berkeley will promote the initiative through social media, advertisements, and printed materials. "A big part of it is getting people to tell their stories," said Allen.

Nicorette is planning to target smokers through the use of social media and paid media, and hopes to generate free media coverage.

This is headline news; as we observe the journey of smokers and the policies surrounding it, we are fortunate to have a significant amount of interest," stated Remash.

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