Reducing smoking has been a major aim of public health agencies across the globe. The objective of a study by Valery and coworkers was to identify the most effective intervention strategies and policies for smoking cessation among adults. The Medline and Cochrane Library databases were searched, limited to publications since January 2000. A 'review of reviews' approach was followed. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were included, but reviews aimed at adolescents or specific subgroups were excluded. Two reviewers independently assessed titles and abstracts. For every intervention strategy, only the most recent publication was included. Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. They included intervention strategies and policies ranked according to their effect size, taking into account the number of original studies, the proportion of studies with a positive effect, and the presence of a long-term effect. Evidence of effectiveness for the following strategies was found: (1) group behavioral therapy; (2) bupropion; (3) intensive physician advice; (4) nicotine replacement therapy; (4) individual counseling; (5) telephone counseling; (6) nursing interventions; and (7) tailored self-help interventions. A 10% increase in price of tobacco increased cessation rates by 3-5%. Comprehensive clean indoor laws increased quit rates by 12-38%.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER: The authors concluded that their results show and confirm that a wide array of effective smoking cessation intervention approaches and policies can have a large impact on smoking cessation rates.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS SOMEONE TRYING TO QUIT SMOKING: The review indicates that you can quit smoking. It is not always easy, particularly as many smokers are addicted to nicotine. However, through self-management skills, nicotine replacement therapy, and persistence, you can win the battle over tobacco.

L Valery et al. Effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions among adults: a systematic review of reviews. European Journal of Cancer Prevention, 2008;17:535-544.