The use of nicotine patches with minimal intervention

Background This paper describes a natural, prospective, open-label study de signed to evaluate the impact of free nicotine patches with minimal support for smoking cessation. Methods. Surveys were administered to 223 participants who received nicotin e patches from the American Lung Association. All participants received a 6 -week supply of 15-mg/16-h transdermal nicotine patches, a self-help book F reedom from Smoking, and information about area smoking cessation classes. Follow-up telephone surveys were administered 6 weeks after the patches wer e distributed. Abstinence was measured through self-report exclusively, Results. The overall quit rate at B-weeks was 21% (47/223). Among nonquitte rs, the mean number of cigarettes smoked per day dropped from 25 at baselin e to 14 at 6 weeks. There was a significant difference in the average numbe r of patches used by quitters and nonquitters (26 versus II, P < 0.001). Conclusions. Nicotine patches with minimal support can be effective in smok ing cessation and smoking reduction. The availability of patches may have m otivated participants to quit. Efforts to increase access to and use of nic otine patches may result in increased attempts to quit and successful quitt ing. (C) 2000 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.