Why do those who request smoking treatment fail to attend the first appointment?

As part of a larger trial of pharmacological and counseling interventions for light smokers, we performed a telephone-screening interview followed by a scheduled time for an in-person eligibility appointment. Of the 407 who screened positive and expressed interest in participation, 202 failed to attend the first scheduled appointment. This article examines person, study, and study-site characteristics that differentiated those who did follow through from those who did not. The study also examined the self-reported quit rates of both groups 12 weeks later, the time of the study termination. Analyses suggested that nonattendees were more likely to be younger, unemployed, and African American. The most frequently cited reasons for missing the eligibility appointment were work/family obligations, inconvenient appointment times, and personal schedule problems. Those who kept the initial appointment were more likely to report smoking abstinence at 12 weeks. The study has implications for increasing the utilization of potentially effective treatments for smokers.