The Effect of Lapses During the Quit Smoking Support Program on the Continued Cessation of Smoking After One Year

Abstract

Introduction
Kyushu University developed a quit smoking support program that was started in 2010 as part of the antismoking movement. We successfully accumulated cases for which we were able to confirm the smoking cessation rate for up to one year, and this is a report including the observations of these patients.
Subjects and Methods
The subjects included in the study were students and faculty members who wished to quit smoking and participated in the program during the 2010 - 2011 term, and the following two analyses were performed on these patients.
The smoking status at the end of the program and after one year were divided and classified into non-smoking, relapsed smoking and unknown, and a comparison was conducted between the students and faculty members (unknown cases were excluded from the analysis). Those who had quit smoking for 12 weeks (non-smoking group) were divided into two groups; a lapsed group and non-smoking group, and the status of continued cessation was compared after one year. The results were determined in the same manner as in the first analysis.
Results
1. Smoking status at the end of the program and after one year
The smoking cessation rate of the students at the end of the program was 43.1% and was 24.1% after one year, and the smoking cessation rate of faculty members at the end of the program was 76.0% and was 52.0% after one year. The faculty members showed higher cessation rates both at the end of the program and after one year compared with the students. We were also unable to check the status of a large number of students.
2. Smoking status after one year in patients with and without lapses
Thirteen of the 17 students in the non-smoking group continued to be smoke free, however, four of the 5 students in the lapsed group relapsed and one continued to be smoke free. Twenty-two of the 25 faculty members in the non-smoking group continued to be smoke free, and five of the 9 faculty members in the lapsed group had relapsed and four continued to be smoke free. Students and faculty members in the lapsed groups both showed lower smoking cessation rates and higher relapse rates after one year.
Discussion
The smoking cessation rate of students was comparatively lower than that of faculty members. It is thought that the reason for this is the difficulty for students to maintain their motivation due a variety of contributing factors. The smoking cessation rate after one year was lower in the lapse patients than in the nonsmoking group, and the relapse rates were higher in these patients. Based on this finding, it has been suggested that a lapse during the program inhibits the continued cessation of smoking after one year.
Conclusion
The smoking cessation rate was higher for faculty members than students. In addition, it has been suggested that for the continued cessation of smoking, it is essential to prevent lapses during the program. We aim to accumulate more cases and further improve the smoking cessation rate.