Essential communication skills in individual smoking cessation

When dealing with smokers it is important to realize that nicotine addiction plays a major role. Minimal clinic smoking cessation advice by a physician is a powerful motivation to quit and even short intervention (<3 minutes) is effective especially when repeated. There is a dose-response relationship between the number and duration of sessions and quit rate. The optimum programme contains 4-5 sessions of 10-15 minutes duration during the first six weeks after quit day. It is essential that smokers select a target quit day and stop smoking completely on that day as even a few cigarettes per day in the first weeks are strongly related to relapse. Administration of nicotine replacement products or bupropion may double success rates. The communication with smokers should be emphatic and adjusted to the level of change. Barriers to successful smoking cessation and structured interventions are described. The use of the five As to motivated smokers and the five Rs to smokers not ready to quit is recommended. Telephone and written material may supplement clinic visits in the follow-up period.