Using Professional Support when Quitting Smoking Original Publication

Introduction

Smoking is defined as a chronic disease with periods of use and abstinence. Reducing tobacco consumption is of key importance to the overall health of the population. The combination of therapeutic education, behavioral support, and pharmacotherapy are key ingredients in smoking cessation. Clinical guidelines recommend cognitive-behavioral intervention together with the administration of first-line drugs (bupropion, varenicline, NRT).

Interventions of as little as 3 minutes by primary care physicians can help patients to quit smoking successfully. Quitting smoking advice by GPs has been shown to increase rates of quitting smoking.

Aim

The aim of the study was to assess smoking cessation frequency and the frequency of smoking cessation counseling in primary care.

Material and Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 among 114 smokers from the Piotrków district who were referred to a primary care physician. The Bioethics Committee of the Medical University of Lodz issued a positive opinion on the study (RNN/243/15/KE). The research tool was a questionnaire.

Results

57% of respondents had tried to quit smoking, the most common number of attempts being 1–2 (32.5% of respondents); 66.7% of respondents intended to quit smoking in the next month, and 22.8% were considering quitting smoking in the next 12 months; 45.6% of respondents had been advised to quit smoking in the last 12 months; and only 38.6% of respondents had ever been given advice on stopping smoking by their GP. In the previous 12 months: 14.9% of respondents had used nicotine replacement therapy, incl. slices or chewing gum; 3.5% of people had benefited from therapeutic help, including the anti-smoking clinic; 3.5% of respondents had used traditional drugs (e.g., champix); and 5.3% of respondents had used prescription drugs (e.g., bupropion).

Conclusions

The results suggest that the time spent advising patients on smoking should include helping them to quit smoking. GPs should discuss smoking cessation with more patients who smoke.