Smoking cessation and the effect of nicotine dependence on relapse rate in İzmir, Turkey
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Date
2015
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Abstract
Background/aim: Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the world. There is growing evidence of the need for community- based programs on smoking cessation. The main purpose of this study is to establish the rate of smoking cessation and restarting in 1year at the Balçova Smoking Cessation Center.Materials and methods: This is a prospective study with a study group of 359 individuals who quit smoking at the Balçova SmokingCessation Center for at least 4 weeks between October 2009 and April 2010. The outcomes of the study were 1-year cessation rate andrelapse rate. Individuals who reported restarting and/or had CO measurements above 6 ppm were accepted as quitters who had relapsed.Results: The 1-year rate of smoking cessation was 30.1% for the study group. Of the subjects who quit smoking, 50.1% started smokingagain during the 1-year follow-up. Relapse rate was also higher in nicotine addicts. Pharmacological treatment was associated withincreased success rates in smoking cessation. Conclusion: Nicotine dependency was shown to be associated with lower rates of smoking cessation and higher rates of relapse.Therefore, it is important to begin smoking cessation attempts before individuals become serious addicts.