Smoking and diseases caused by smoking are the leading causes of loss of life in the world. Cigarettes are held responsible for 5 million deaths in the world and 100,000 deaths in Turkey each year. 90% of lung cancer deaths, 90% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) deaths, 35% of all cancer-related deaths in men and 15% in women are due to smoking.
Smoking causes serious diseases; It is obvious that it causes loss of life, life expectancy and quality of life. Therefore, smoking is the biggest preventable cause of cancer.
Studies on quitting smoking show that using alternative tobacco products does not provide the desired success; Contrary to popular belief, it continues to show that an idea such as I quit by reducing it is not effective at a sufficient level.
In this context, a new study was conducted at Oxford University in which users who quit smoking abruptly and those who quit smoking gradually were compared. In the controlled study, 697 randomly selected smokers were examined in a 4-week period and a 6-month period.
The team that made the study; Although it is thought that gradual cessation of smoking in societies is beneficial in quitting smoking, it has been noted that quitting smoking at once is more effective.
The researchers studied two groups of 355 adult users who quit smoking abruptly and 342 adult users who quit gradually.
Participants who chose to quit smoking abruptly determined which day they would quit smoking within 2 weeks.
Participants who quit smoking gradually reduced their smoking by 50% at the end of the first week, while they tried to achieve a 25% reduction in the second week.
Nurses provided behavioral support in both groups and applied nicotine replacement patches before and after quitting smoking in patients in both groups. Participants who quit smoking in one go also followed some difficult and sophisticated coping strategies to resist reuse during this predicted time frame. At each subsequent clinical session, the researchers evaluated the amount of cotinine (an end product of nicotine) from the patients’ saliva and the carbon monoxide concentration they exhaled.
39.2% of participants in the group who quit smoking gradually at week 4; On the other hand, 49.0% of the group of participants who quit smoking at one time provided this diet.
In the 6th month, it was observed that 15.5% of the participants in the group who quit smoking gradually followed this diet; 22.0% of the group of participants who quit smoking at one time provided this diet.
In conclusion, as pointed out by this study, which is shown with clear evidence; Although it is thought that gradually quitting smoking is an effective method, quitting smoking at once, regardless of long or short term, is more effective on smoking cessation.
