Pre-quit in practice: a No Smoking Day initiative

Author and presenter:
Helen Poole
Smoking Cessation Counsellor, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board In-house Smoking Cessation Service, University Hospital of Wales, UK

Abstract
To support No Smoking Day 2009, the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in-house Smoking Cessation Service, implemented a pilot programme involving a new flexible approach to quitting, pre-quit. The aim was to attract smokers who had had an unsuccessful quit attempt and may benefit from a different approach, particularly, supporting those who do not feel confident to stop all cigarettes at once.

The pre-quit approach uses a short-term structured programme (2 to 4 weeks), helping smokers to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked, using a Therapeutic Nicotine (TN) lozenge to control cravings, before a pre-set quit date. The individualised approach provided flexibility to smokers regarding how many cigarettes they cut out.

Advertisements for the initiative were displayed three weeks prior to the start of the programme. Participants were offered the full range of pharmacological options.

Of 34 participants, 22 opted for the pre-quit approach versus 12 for abrupt cessation. At four weeks, 50% of those in the pre-quit programme had achieved a successful quit and at three months, 32% were still smoke free. Importantly, it was evident that the programme was successful in engaging a larger proportion of smokers into the service, with a 6-fold increase from the previous year.

Source of funding: Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in-house Smoking Cessation Service, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff

Declaration of interest: none

About the presenter
Since October 2001, Helen Poole has been employed as a smoking cessation counsellor at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, having been employed within the NHS for the past 16 years. She offers smoking cessation help and support to in-patients and family members, out-patients and family members, parents of paediatric patients and staff and family members. She has obtained a BA (Hons) degree in Business Studies and has obtained various counselling qualifications including her Masters in Counselling. Prior to this job she worked as a counsellor in the University Of Wales Institute Of Cardiff, alongside her work in the NHS.