The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: A six month comparative study to: 1: See the results of a gradual reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked per day versus an abrupt quitting of smoking. 2: Design a protocol for a gradual smoking cessation without a need for replacement therapy.

Methods: A total of 100 patients aging 30 to 50 years were included. They were divided in two groups. Group I was motivated by repeated counseling to quit smoking abruptly. Group II was given a gradual cessation plan of 6 to 8 weeks. A close monitoring of withdrawal symptoms like abdominal distention, Insomnia, irritability and constipation was done. The group I experienced peak withdrawal symptoms from 7th to 10th day and was offered counseling and pharmacological therapy. The group II was offered a schedule of weekly 1/3 reduction in number of cigarettes smoked per day. A person smoking thirty cigarettes/day was asked to reduce to twenty and the next week to fourteen and so on. This group was offered repeated counseling over changes in physical and mental status. Their need for pharmacological therapy was negligible

Results: Thirty smokers of group I, needed replacement therapy in addition to counseling to quit smoking successfully. The remaining twenty restarted smoking within two weeks not responding to pharmacological measures. The withdrawal symptoms in group II were milder and therefore tolerable, not requiring any replacement therapy. Forty five Smokers quitted smoking successfully and remained so till the completion of study. The remaining five, reverted to smoking in spite of replacement therapy and intensive counseling