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Repeated, Intensive Interventions Increase the Likelihood that a Smoker Will Quit Successfully
Fully produced report in MP3 format:
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(78 seconds)
-- How Will You Use This Story? --
(OPEN):
A NEW STUDY FINDS THAT PERSISTENCE HELPS, WHEN QUITTING SMOKING.
THE STUDY--PUBLISHED IN "ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE"--FINDS
THAT REPEATED, INTENSIVE INTERVENTIONS INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT A
SMOKER WILL QUIT SUCCESSFULLY. STUDY AUTHOR, DOCTOR
EDWARD ELLERBECK...
(ELLERBECK):
"I THINK THIS STUDY IS NEWS BECAUSE IT REALLY SHOWS THAT WE CAN
ENGAGE SMOKERS IN TREATMENT, FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME: THAT--FOR UP TO
TWO YEARS, WITH UP TO FOUR CYCLES OF SMOKING CESSATION--WE CAN ENGAGE
SMOKERS; AND THAT, BY CONTINUING TO ENGAGE THEM, THEY CAN HAVE
PROGRESSIVELY BETTER SMOKING-CESSATION RATES."
(BRIDGE):
61-YEAR-OLD CAROL TOMPKINS TOOK PART IN THE STUDY--AFTER
SMOKING, OFF AND ON, FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS...
(TOMPKINS):
"THE LONGER I WAS IN THE PROGRAM, THE LESS TEMPTING IT WAS.
BUT, RIGHT AT FIRST--YES--IT WAS VERY TEMPTING. BUT THEN, I HAD TO
CONVINCE MYSELF THAT, 'HEY, I'M IN THIS FOR THE LONG HAUL; I WANT TO
QUIT. AND, IT'S NOT WORTH IT FOR ME TO START AGAIN.' SO,
AFTER A WHILE, IT CEASED TO BE A PROBLEM."
(CLOSE):
THE STUDY LOOKED AT 750 SMOKERS WHO SMOKED AT LEAST A HALF A PACK, A DAY.
OVER A TWO-YEAR PERIOD, PHYSICIANS OFFERED AN INTERVENTION EVERY SIX
MONTHS WITH MEDICATION--OR MEDICATION PLUS INTENSIVE COUNSELING.
THE MORE ATTEMPTS SMOKERS MADE, THE MORE LIKELY THEY WERE TO QUIT.
