STRATEGIES FOR SMOKING CESSATION

Smoking cessation strategies should be geared to the target group's le vel of motivation to quit, and degree of: tobacco addiction. Motivatio nal interventions (e.g. media campaigns) aim to encourage more people to try to stop smoking. Treatment interventions (e.g. nicotine replace ment) aim to increase the chances of a quit attempt being successful. In populations which have already been saturated by motivational inter ventions, the overall effect of adding further motivational interventi ons may be rather small, and possibly non-existent in heavy smokers. A s a population's smoking prevalence declines, so the balance of interv entions should shift from motivational to treatment approaches. Nicoti ne replacement is an effective smoking cessation aid and should form t he basis for treating moderate to heavy smokers. There may be a case f or the development of more specialist clinics to treat motivated but a ddicted smokers and train health professionals how to apply effective smoking cessation methods as part of their routine work.