Smoking cessation clinic: One year experience

INTRODUCTION Tobacco is the most important preventable cause of premature death worldwide. Only about 4%-7% of people are able to quit smoking on any given attempt without medicines or other help. Smoking cessation clinics and others healthcare providers have been shown to improve smoking cessation rates. AIM To analyse the characteristics of the smokers in a Smoking Cessation Clinic in Madrid. MATERIAL AND METHODS From November 2010 to October 2011, 200 consecutive smokers were included in this study. Demographic data, comorbilities, smoking history, nicotine dependence (Fagerstrom test scores), motivation to quit (Richmond test scores), treatment and success in quitting smoking were recorded. The statistical software SPSS was used for analysis of the results. RESULTS Our population had a mean age of 51.7 years, with 56% of them being women. Body mass index was 25.35 kg/m 2 . Mean age at smoking initation was 17.33 years, and men were slightly younger (16.11 vs 17.73, p=0.002). Men also consumed more tobacco (pack-years index was 47.25 in men vs 34.47, p=0.001) and had higher nicotine dependence than women (p 0.019). Six-month continuous abstinence quit rate was 46.43% in women and 30.68% in men (p 0.024). Varenicline was the more effective treatment (success rate 46.91%). 70% of the smokers had tried to quit before, and just 10 patients success at their first attempt (all of them were women). 72 smokers (36%) left the program after the first visit. CONCLUSIONS 1. Men significantly started to smoke earlier, consumed more tobacco and had higher nicotine dependence than women. 2. Six-month continuous abstinence quit rate was significantly higher in women. 3. Varenicline was the more effective treatment for smoking cessation in our experience.