THE EFFECTS OF A MULTIPLE TREATMENT PROGRAM AND MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES ON SMOKING CESSATION

The efficacy of a multiple treatment smoking cessation program and 3 maintenance strategies was evaluated. Phase 1 of the study involved 51 subjects who participated in a 5 day smoking cessation project. The program consisted of lectures, demonstrations, practice exercises, aversive smoking and the teaching of self-control procedures. In Phase 2, all subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 maintenance conditions: a 4-wk support group which offered an opportunity to discuss feelings and thoughts, a 4 wk telephone contact system which enabled group members to call one another and a no-contact control group. To evaluate efficacy, extensive follow-up data were collected at the end of treatment and at 2, 4, 6 and 12 mo. post-treatment. The treatment program was extremely effective; 100% of the subjects were abstinent at the end of treatment and at 1 yr post-treatment, 63% of the subjects reported total abstinence. As to sex differences, at the 1 yr period 66% of the women and 59% of the men were ex-smokers. Recidivists reported a smoking rate that was 52% of baseline at the 6 mo. follow-up. At 2 mo. post-treatment, 40% of the abstainers reported that the quitting experience was easy and subjects reported an average weight gain of only 4.69 lb. Future smoking cessation research based upon the promising findings of this study is suggestive.