The A-B-C's of smoking cessation: Using behavioral strategies to help undergraduates stop smoking.

Abstract

Despite reports claiming cigarette smoking remains the most preventable cause of premature death in the United States, cigarette use by college students is increasing on campuses nationwide. We investigated the effectiveness of a brief multicomponent smoking cessation program provided for a 21year-old female (Sue) and an 18-year-old male (Tom) undergraduate student from a midwestern university. The treatment program consisted of self-report functional assessment methodology, schedule-reduced smoking, and functionally derived self-management strategies. The use of a functional assessment device provided descriptions of antecedent-behavior-consequence relationships, thereby engendering idiographic self-management cessation strategies, and a schedule-reduced smoking component was included in order to facilitate the programmed reduction in nicotine intake. Dependent measures included self-report of daily smoking frequency and alveolar carbon monoxide levels. Treatment included four weekly sessions lasting approximately 45 minutes. Though neither participant achieved complete cessation, Sue achieved a 70% reduction in smoking at 6-months followup. Tom achieved a 60% reduction in smoking at 14-day follow-up, but reported returning to above pre-treatment smoking frequency at 6-months follow-up. Treating college smokers with a rapid multicomponent program targeting the both the behavioral and pharmacological aspects of smoking behavior may offer reductions in smoking. Approximately one quarter of U.S.