A one-year follow-up of participants in a smoke stoppers program

A follow-up study of Smoke Stoppers participants was conducted at least one year after participation to determine the effectiveness of this approach and to identify the characteristics of those who had remained nonsmokers. The overall program success rate was determined to be 40% at best, but no worse than 32%, depending on the denominator. The following characteristics did not show a statistically significant correlation with stopping smoking: age, education, number of attempts to stop smoking, reasons for wanting to stop, total life stressors, moral support for quitting, companions with whom participants attended classes, number of cigarettes smoked, number of years smoking has continued, and employment with the hospital. Those who stopped smoking had attended significantly more classes and had a greater proclivity to gain weight than did those who resumed smoking, although large weight gains were not a problem.