Abstinence from smoking ten years after participation in a randomized controlled trial of a self-help program

This study was based on a ten-year follow-up of smokers who had participated in a randomized controlled trial of a behavioral self-help program for smoking cessation. The original sample was made up of 200 smokers assigned at random to two treatment groups. Ten years later 93.5% (n = 187) of the sample were successfully located (of the 13 not located, 6 had died), from whom information was obtained about their current state and the evolution of their smoking over the 10-year period. Reported abstinence at this follow-up was confirmed by carbon monoxide in expired air. Significant differences were found in the abstinence rates of the two groups at the follow-ups 1 year (14% vs. 28%) and 2 years (13% vs. 24%) after the end of the treatment. After 10 years 26% (n = 52) of the total sample were abstinent. Over the ten-year period, 62.0% tried to give up smoking at some point, the mean figure for attempts being 1.3. According to the results of the 10-year follow-up, low nicotine dependence at pretreatment is a major factor predicting long-term cessation in smokers.