Control of cigarette smoking from a medical perspective.

Cigarette smoking cessation is apparently associated with decreased risk of heart attack and cancer and improvement in pulmonary function. We suspect, however, that those who quit smoking are not the "highest risk group." The preliminary results of clinical trials at least for heart disease and smoking cessation are not as impressive as the results of observational studies. Isolated smoking cessation programs with reference to a definable population contribute little to our knowledge of the health effects of smoking cessation, probably attract relatively "low risk smokers," and have a smaller public health impact than anticipated.