Counseling leads to cessation of smoking

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: More than drugs, advice and counseling by a doctor or health worker plays a vital role in cessation of smoking reveals a study conducted in Palakkad district of Kerala. Coming in the wake of renewed awareness that tobacco consumption is a major disease-causing factor, the study seeks to compare the effectiveness of doctor’s advice and doctor’s advice followed by healthworker cessation counseling in Primary Health Centres (PHCs). The study, titled ‘Smoking Cessation Intervention through Primary Health Centres: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial from Kerala, India,’ found that about 20 per cent smokers stopped smoking following advice and counseling, and around 10 per cent abstained even after two years. Conducted for the Project Quit Tobacco International, the study covered 755 male smokers, averaging 44 years, from six PHCs. Dr. A. S. Pradeep Kumar, Addl Director (Public Health),Directorate of Health Services, Kerala, who led the study, said, ‘Smoking cessation using drugs is not feasible in developing countries due to issues of drug availability, affordability and social acceptability. As such, doctor’s advice and counseling by health workers are useful in promoting cessation.’ Dr. Kumar, who is also the Convenor of the High-Level Committee constituted by the state government for dealing with issues related to tobacco use in Kerala, presented the poster form of the study at the ongoing 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health at Singapore on Thursday. The target respondents were divided randomly into two groups - Minimal Intervention (MI) and Augmented Intervention (AI). The respondents in the MI group (49.5 per cent) were given doctor’s advice and a fact sheet on tobacco harm. The remaining50.5 per cent in the AI group received doctor’s advice, fact sheet and counseling by a nondoctor health professional, and a quit tobacco guide. The quit rate and harm reduction were assessed at third, sixth and 12th weeks, and followed up at six months and two years.