Comparing smoking treatment programs for lighter smokers with and without a history of heavier smoking

Gariti, Peter; Lynch, Kevin; Alterman, Arthur; Kampman, Klye; Xie, Hu; Varillo, Kristi

doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2009.01.006

« Previous Next »Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
Volume 37, Issue 3 , Pages 247-255, October 2009

Comparing smoking treatment programs for lighter smokers with and without a history of heavier smoking

Peter Gariti, Ph.D.
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Addictions, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Corresponding author. University of Pennsylvania Treatment Research Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Tel.: +1 610 935 1929; fax: +1 610 933 0471.
Kevin Lynch, Ph.D.
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Addictions, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Arthur Alterman, Ph.D.
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Addictions, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Klye Kampman, M.D.
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Addictions, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Hu Xie, M.S.
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Addictions, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Kristi Varillo, M.S.
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Addictions, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA

Received 22 September 2008; received in revised form 22 January 2009; accepted 26 January 2009. published online 01 April 2009.

Abstract

The study examined the impact of counseling intensity (high vs. low) combined with either bupropion or the nicotine patch. Two hundred sixty participants smoking 6 to 15 cigarettes per day (cpd) were enrolled in a yearlong study to examine the effects of treatment. Four groups of smokers under medication-blinded conditions were compared for treatment completion and abstinence at three follow-up points from the initiation of treatment (Weeks 12, 26, and 52). Both counseling groups had similar treatment completion rates (i.e., defined by a combination of counseling attendance and medication adherence levels). There was a main treatment effect for abstinence favoring the high counseling condition in early follow-up (Week 12) and for continuous abstinence. Participants with a history of heavier smoking (≥20 cpd) and African American smokers were least likely to be smoke free at the end of the study. The study has implications for identifying the treatment needs of lighter smokers.

Keywords: Lighter smokers, African American smokers, Smoking cessation counseling, Nicotine patch, Bupropion