In France, two thirds of the 13.5 million daily smokers say they want to quit, according to the national tobacco control plan. For this, they have several solutions: patches, tablets, chewing gum, sprays… And a new one could soon arrive on the market: a necklace, called SmokeMon, developed by researchers of the Northwestern University, in the USA. Their study was published earlier this year.
A necklace that analyzes the behavior of smokers
This necklace is discreet, similar to a classic blue pendant. But he’s smart because he’s able to record how many puffs of smoke a person inhales each day. “It goes far beyond the number of cigarettes an individual smokes dailyexplains Nabil Alshurafa, one of the authors, in a communiqué. We can detect when the cigarette is lit, when the person holds it to their mouth and takes a puff, how much they inhale, how long between puffs and how long they have the cigarette in their mouth.“
The device operates using thermal sensors. They therefore record all this data so that people can identify their habits related to tobacco consumption. At the same time, scientists have also developed a system that measures exposure to carbon monoxide.
Quit smoking and avoid relapses
“For many people trying to quit smoking, a misstep is one or two cigarettes or even a single puff. details Nabil Alshurafa. But a slip-up is not the same as a relapse. A person can learn from their slip-ups, realizing that they didn’t fail, they just had a temporary setback. To avoid a relapse, we can draw their attention to how we deal with triggers and [ces fortes envies].”
During their study, to develop the collar and test its effectiveness, the scientists asked 19 smokers to wear it continuously. In parallel, they refined their software for detecting smoking behavior: the moment of a puff, the number of puffs, the duration of the puff, the volume of the puff, the interval between puffs and the duration during which they smoked, etc. Data to help them understand the roots of smoking-related habits and thus treat themselves accordingly.
Ultimately, the researchers also want to use this collar to track the smoking behavior of people who use e-cigarettes. In addition, all the data collected will also enable them to better understand the development of certain tobacco-related diseases, by analyzing their appearance according to the frequency or level of carbon monoxide inhaled during a lifetime, for example. A necklace to help patients, but also research.