Smoking Cessation Support in Iran: Availability, Sources & Predictors (Report‪)‬

Smoking is one of the major causes of death worldwide and the most preventable risk factor of coronary heart disease (1). Prevalence of smoking has come to a plateau or has been decreasing in most developed countries, whereas it has been increasing in many developing countries since 1990s (2). Once initiated, smoking is a very difficult addiction to overcome, so that in most smoking cessation programmes about 10-25 per cent of smokers maintain abstinence up to 1 year after smoking cessation (3), while spontaneous cessation rates are only about 3-5 per cent (4). Many studies have emphasized the role of supporting environment as a motivating factor for smoking cessation (5-8). It is well documented that providing advice and helping smokers to start and maintain smoking cessation is an important part of every smoking cessation programme (5). Additionally, smokers are encouraged to ask for smoking cessation help from others (6). Smoking cessation support has been shown to increase cessation rates 1.3 to 1.5 fold (7). In a study done by Carlson et al (8) during 1999-2000 in Canada, separate support group sessions were held for persons supporting prospective quitters. Six hundred smokers brought 156 support people with them to the group sessions. Those smokers who had support people attending at least one of the support group sessions had higher cessation rates at 3, 6, and 12 months compared to those without a support person (8).