Long term outcome of clients treated in a commercial stop smoking program

A follow-up study was conducted at approximately one year posttreatment of a group of clients treated at a commercial stop smoking program (Shick Smoking Centers). A sample of 327 clients was contacted from the total number of 832 clients treated in the year 1985. These clients were selected in a random systematic fashion and were contacted by telephone using a structured interview. The treatment program employed five days of aversive counter-conditioning (faradic and "quick Puff") for various smoking behaviors. It also included an educational and counseling component during the initial counter-conditioning phase and a six week support phase with weekly support groups and one counter-conditioning reinforcement treatment in the second week. The clients were contacted a mean of 13.7 months after completion of treatment. The majority (55.7%) of the clients were male. Fifty-two percent of all clients achieved their goal of total abstinence from cigarettes since "graduation" from the program. The factor most predictive of success or failure was whether or not the client returned to a home containing a smoker. Of those returning to a nonsmoking home, 61.4% of the men and 60.2% of the women were successful. Of those who returned to a smoking household, 70.2% returned to smoking. This study demonstrates that the treatment process appears to be free of complications and is associated with successful outcomes in the majority of clients. Further improvement in outcome might result from simultaneous treatment of all household smokers.