SMOKING CESSATION - A SUCCESSFUL BEHAVIORAL PHARMACOLOGIC INTERFACE/

Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature mo rtality in this country. Fortunately, there are both behavioral and ph armacological approaches that are effective in long-term smoking cessa tion. The purpose of this review will be first to highlight the short- and long-term effectiveness of behavioral, pharmacological, and combi ned approaches to smoking cessation. We will review what is known abou t the mechanisms of change in both behavioral and pharmacological trea tments. Adherence to both approaches will be highlighted and cost-effe ctiveness issues will be discussed. It will be concluded that despite the relatively high cost per confirmed long-term quit smoker, smoking cessation is an area in which a high degree of cost effectiveness can be demonstrated. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd