The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: 1.to define whether the acceptance of programme and giving up smoking depend on the person who referred the smoker to our Department for giving up smoking (DGS). 2.to examine whether they smoked on that particular day and had cigarettes with them, what was their decision on quitting smoking, the degree of nicotine addiction (DNA), and the number of those who accepted,withdrew programme.

Methods: DGS provides professional assistance to the smokers. We used statistical methods and univariant logistic regression.

Results: Main result was that females come to DGS twice more than males (73% vs. 54%; p=0.01). Out of 172 studied patients, 85% smoked on the day of the appointment (p=0.01). High percentage of them were referred by their friends. Likewise, 69% of patients had cigarettes with them (p=0.01). Fifty-three percent belonged to the group who come by their own free will. Great percentage of smokers (76%) who had cigarettes with them belonged to the group referred by their family members (p=0.02). More than two-thirds (68%) manifested high DNA were referred to DGS by the physician. Up to 40% of smokers didn't accept the programme and giving up smoking. Smokers who accepted this -70%- reached their own decision and referred to our DGS at their own free will (p=0.03). Considerable number of smokers (63%) were referred by their physicians. It has been noted that friends (of the same age) have no influence on smokers in relation of giving up smoking as they have on accepting smoking habit. Similar situation is with family members.