How to Compare Quit Smoking Options
By Bob Sherman
What You Should Know About Smoking Cessation Programs
You should know that some programs advertise rather high quit rates. This can make you believe that a particular program is very effective, and if it's a commercial program, well worth the price. But, there are factors you should learn about advertised quit rates. These include:
- Including or Excluding Dropouts For most scientific studies, all the initial participants are included in the final figures. Those who miss readings or drop out of the program are considered as having returned to smoking. Overall rates of smoking abstinence at the end of 6 months (including dropouts as smokers) of 20 to 30% are common for effective treatments. If dropouts are simply removed from the statistics, success rates may well approach 40 to 50%.
So, remember that a success rate number can be calculated in several ways. Compare success rates calculated in the same way to make an informed decision.
- Defining Success
Scientific studies often ask participants if they abstained from smoking between recording sessions. Some participants will try to please the reachers by indicating abstinence when they actually relapsed and smoked. But, researchers always biochemically verify the participant's report. Typical biochemical methods include measuring expired breath samples for carbon monoxide (CO) levels and taking saliva samples to determine cotinine levels.
If you are evaluating success rates for various cessation programs you should ensure that success is defined the same way for each program. Some programs have a financial interest in inflating their success rates.
- Length of Followup
Many programs last 4 to 8 weeks. While the initial urges to smoke are greatest in the first week and gradually taper off, many people relapse during moments of unusually stress or pressure. Over a period of 6 months, there is a steady decline in smoking abstinence. So, comparing quit rates at the end of a 4 week program with quit rates at the end of 6 months is not a fair comparison.
Armed with this information, you can better understand what "success" means in ads for various programs. Try to compare the same measure of success for each program to make a good comparison.
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