Smokers quit with overdosestudy

Press, 12 July 1984, Page 26

Smokers quit with overdosestudy

NZPA staff correspondent Sydney Overdosing on cigarettes can make a smoker stop using them almost as effectively as giving up gradually, according to Sydney researchers. Studying 3500 smokers who took part in the New South Wales Government’s “Quit for Life” anti-smoking campaign, the researchers found that people in the rapid-smoking programmes were among the most successful in kicking the habit. The volunteers were made to smoke three cigar-

ettes in a session, taking one draw every six seconds, with only five minutes between cigarettes. A year later, 53 per cent of those who finished the full courses were still off cigarettes compared with 59 per cent of those who chose the 14-day withdrawal programmes. Another successful method was meditation which had a 48 per cent success rate. However, results of biggest Australian study of its kind tended to send the

value of hypnosis up in smoke. It found only 36 per cent of those who chose hypnosis-assisted' quitting methods were still not smoking a year later. Programme organisers said they could leave hypnosis treatment out of future programmes.

In spite of the big demand for the courses, only about half the participants completed them. The success rates were given for those who went through the full set of up to four half-hour programmes.