A quit smoking app from Australia is using the combination of peer-support and extinction therapy to help smokers butt out for good.
Kick.it聽is an iPhone app developed in South Australia that helps users quit smoking through friendly intervention.
Kick.it uses a range of techniques, including聽extinction therapy, to replace the habit of picking up a cigarette with logging into the app.
It is a top-five finalist for the US-based MassChallenge accelerator programme following a five-day bootcamp at its headquarters in Boston last week.
Founder and former smoker James Stewart said although a lot of countries had programs to help smokers, many people chose to avoid them.
鈥淲e can tailor programs for different types of smokers so it鈥檚 relevant for every user,鈥� Stewart said.
鈥淚t can be your peers or your family and includes campaigns like friendly competition where a smoker gives up cigarettes and a friend journeys with them by giving up something as well like lollies or chocolate.
鈥淵ou can put a lot of evidence-based stuff into an app but it probably won鈥檛 have an effect on breaking a habit. Our techniques work to replace the cigarette with the phone until it becomes a habit.鈥�
Kick.it was developed with the help of Adelaide-based developer Codefish and also provides a list of research on smoking as well as helpful tips to聽complement its peer support focus.
These include effective distraction techniques such as deep breathing exercises or drinking water.
According to the World Health Organisation there are more than a billion smokers worldwide and that about six million people die from smoking a year, including more than 600,000 people from second-hand smoking.
Stewart said Kick.it was also looking to partner with professional industry support organisations.
鈥淧eople don鈥檛 just want information about smoking, they want something that will tell them how much money they have saved or how long they have been smoke free for, which is good,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e want to become the best smoking cessation app in the world where it鈥檚 got both the community and professional industry assistance at people鈥檚 fingertips.鈥�
Stewart said the app would eventually expand to include community-help initiatives to address other unwanted habits such as bad diets or lack of exercise.
Kick.it is in the running for a place in one of MassChallenge鈥檚 five world accelerators in the United States, Mexico, Switzerland, Israel or England and the opportunity to share in a $1 million prize pool.
MassChallenge is a United States-based not-for-profit start-up accelerator program providing support to the highest-impact and highest-potential start-ups and entrepreneurs.
To date, 1211 MassChallenge alumni have raised over $1.8 billion in funding, generated over $700 million in revenue, and created over 60,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Kick.it will pitch its vision to the MassChallenge program in April and plans an official launch of its iOS app later this year.