Evaluation of the cognitive behavioral smoking reduction program "Smoke_less": a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Behavioral science
• Addiction medicine
• Public health

Background:

• Many smokers are unable or unwilling to quit, seeking alternatives to medication-based therapies.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers a potential non-pharmacological approach for smoking reduction.
• The Smoke_less program was developed to address this gap in treatment options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of the Smoke_less CBT smoking reduction program.
• To compare Smoke_less to an active control (brief counseling) and a waiting list control.
• To assess smoking reduction rates and abstinence at short-term and long-term follow-up.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 155 adult smokers (aged 18-70).
• Participants were assigned to either the Smoke_less program (4 weekly CBT group sessions + 2 phone calls), brief counseling, or a waiting list control.
• The primary outcome was ≥50% smoking reduction at 1 week and 6 months post-intervention.

Main Results:

• The Smoke_less group showed significantly higher rates of ≥50% smoking reduction compared to the waiting group at both 1 week and 6 months.
• Smoke_less was also superior to the active comparison group at 1 week, but not at 6 months.
• No significant differences in smoking abstinence rates were observed between groups.

Conclusions:

• The Smoke_less CBT program is effective for achieving short-term smoking reduction.
• Its long-term efficacy for smoking reduction is comparable to brief counseling, indicating a need for further improvement.
• Smoke_less presents a promising non-medication-based option for smokers unwilling or unable to quit entirely.