Quitting smoking improves health and reduces the risk for seemingly countless chronic and life-threatening conditions. A carbon monoxide (CO) breath sensor, already cleared by the FDA for use as part of a smoking cessation program, has now earned the European CE mark. The new clearance paves the way for the sensor to enter the global market.
Studies show that expert advice and patient education positively impact an individual’s ability to quit smoking successfully. Carrot, a digital health company focused on behavioral health, designed the sensor as part of their digital smoking cessation platform Pivot. As you might expect, Pivot provides coaching, nicotine replacement options (gum, lozenges, etc.), stress management tools, maintenance strategies, and community forums for users along their journey to becoming cigarette-free.
That kind of support significantly bolsters motivation and adherence for people who feel ready to quit smoking.
But Pivot doesn’t begin at the point when someone tries to quit. The platform empowers people to understand their relationship with cigarettes while emphasizing that quitting is a personal choice. That’s where the breath sensor comes in. The Carrot sensor measures CO levels in the user’s breath, allowing them to track the effect that cigarettes have on their own body chemistry.
In a 3-month clinical trial involving more than 200 participants, the breath sensor proved that it can help motivate individuals to quit smoking. Readiness to quit increased by 33% during the trial, and more than 90% of participants indicated that the breath sensor taught them valuable information about their CO levels and personal smoking behavior. Three out of four participants said that understanding their CO levels made them want to stop smoking cigarettes.
The effectiveness of Carrot’s platform bodes well for people who don’t think they can quit or have tried to stop in the past, as well as those considering smoking cessation for the first time. Effective digital health tools for smoking cessation also impact family members’ health, personal finances, and public health costs. Recognizing the benefits of Pivot and the new breath sensor, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina recently announced a partnership with Carrot to help members stop smoking.
