Behavioral strategies used by long-term successful self-quitters

Smoking-cessation programs have been shown to produce unreliable long-term results. Thus, efficient methods still need to be identified. One way of getting relevant information on successful smoking cessation is to study the quitting methods of unaided, long-term, successful quitters. A structured questionnaire was designed specifically for this purpose. Results from 70 self-quitters indicated that self-quitters typically had high motivation before attempting to quit and used aversive and operant methods currently stressed in the literature. Graded habituation and nicotine-based methods were used by some self-quitters. The findings suggest a two-stage model of quit-smoking program which gives greater attention initially to the systematic development of motivation to quit. This model, it is postulated, might enhance the long-term efficacy of smoking cessation programs.