One-year results of a smoking-cessation programme.

We evaluated the effectiveness of a smoking-cessation programme in all patients included between February 1991 and December 1995. After 4 one-hour consultations once a week, 56.2% of patients had quit. Six months later, this rate was between 20 and 25% and few relapses occurred between the 6th and the 12th month. However, the relapse rate was about 50% between the 1st and the 6th month after the consultations and patients certainly need more support during this critical period. In the present study, the 12-month abstinence rate was unrelated to gender, age, and presence of a smoking-related disease. Patients who participated in at least 3 of the 4 sessions of the course had a significantly higher smoking-cessation rate.