The different methods of smoking cessation

Tobacco companies have made an increase in the price of tobacco package should prompt some smokers to end the cigarette.
There are many methods to stop tobacco for smokers. Here are a few.

* The self-help

Most smokers who stop decide to do it alone, without medical or psychological help. They only accept a few quick tips, listened during a radio, TV or read in books. In controlled 10 to 19% of smokers and studies stop at one year.

Smokers can also follow the tobacco cessation program developed by a Swiss Internet (www.stop-tabac.ch). This complimentary program, which is available in several languages, shows a rate of effectiveness. The Online Tobacco-Info-Service (0 825 309 310) also brings a serious and effective help.

Overall, these self-help methods after one year from 12 to 33% success rate, a rate close enough to the placebo effect. Some tobaccologists, their interest is far from zero, because they are part of the process of gradual maturation leading to the arrest, increase motivation and may have an important role.

* The educational approach

The anti-tobacco consultations recently developed in French hospitals, but their achievements have been no evaluation. These consultations are usually an opportunity for the tobacco specialist to explain the mechanisms of addiction to exonerate stop smoking candidates about their past and possible future failures.

In the same vein, there are group therapy, most often led by former smokers.

* Medications

Among drug treatments, nicotine replacement products are in high demand. They exist in two presentations: chewing gum (2 mg dosed, non-prescription or 4 mg on prescription) and patches (continued administration 24 h or 16 h discontinuous, both on prescription).

If efficiency is now widely confirmed, NRT however, can not always remove the nicotine addiction.

Furthermore Zyban, which has proven its effectiveness, the therapeutic arsenal of smoking cessation is expected to grow in the coming years. But before that, most molecules developed to be seriously committed.

* The behavioral treatment (smoke fast, the smoke saturation, the gradual reduction of nicotine ...)

It has its fans, but remains underdeveloped in France. It is, moreover, an element of all educational and psychosocial approaches.

* Remain acupuncture, homeopathy, mesotherapy and hypnosis, which is difficult to draw reliable conclusions due to low methodological quality of the trials and conflicting results. However, two American consensus conferences have concluded that the ineffectiveness of hypnosis and acupuncture, saying it was not ethical to present to patients as effective methods of smoking cessation.

Among the possible ways forward, both are subject to promising studies. The first, based on the fact that nicotine is not addictive unlike tobacco, is to strengthen the action of nicotine. In contrast, the second approach is considered to oppose the action of nicotine by blocking its receptors in the brain and removing the effect of reward. A vaccine is also currently in clinical trials stage.