Treatments for smokers.

Abstract

Research in treatments for smokers benefits from the feasibility of relatively large samples and well developed evaluative methodology. The field is currently dominated by nicotine replacement methods, for which some degree of efficacy has been clearly demonstrated. A number of psychological methods are widely used as well, although there is little consistent evidence that one specific method is better than any other. Two approaches to treating smokers can be distinguished, i.e. intensive clinic-based treatments and brief community-orientated interventions, e.g. in primary health care. The latter are applicable on a large scale, and aim to affect overall smoking prevalence. Among intensive treatments, the current state of the art would include nicotine replacement and group support of several weeks' duration. In primary health care, simple routine interventions are the preferred option.