Evaluation of general practitioners' use of a smoking intervention programme

A study was made of a smoking cessation programme in a four-man general practice to determine the efficacy of general practitioner counselling and follow-up. In the treatment group 33% of patients became abstainers at six months compared with 3% in the control group. Self-reports of smoking status were verified by blood tests. Patients were more successful if they attended the first three visits compared with those who did not fully attend (48%: 6%). Continuing smokers had significantly higher blood concentrations of cotinine, thiocyanate and carboxyhaemoglobin per cigarette smoked at six months than at entry, despite a 30% decrease in stated cigarette consumption. This suggests that when smokers reduce the number of cigarettes smoked they compensate by increased inhalation. If general practitioners in Australia widely used the intervention programme with similar success this could have a major impact on the smoking habits of the three million smokers in Australia between 16 and 65 years of age. The total cost of the visits is a fraction of the medical treatment for a cigarette-related disease.