NEW YORK, Sep 09 (Reuters) -- Nearly 70% of smokers surveyed by the American Lung Association (ALA) plan on trying to quit smoking -- again -- within the next 6 months. According to an ALA press statement, these smokers have already tried to quit an average of 5.3 times.
"In 1964, half the population smoked. In the 90s, 25% do," said Dr. Alfred Munzer, of the ALA, at a recent press conference. "The people who had an easy time quitting, quit first. The people who had a hard time quitting are still smoking today. They use the term 'addiction' to describe their behavior," he added.
Munzer thinks many people are not aware of the options available to help them quit smoking. "Many of the 47.2 million US smokers have a lot of mistaken ideas about smoking and how to quit. People are still trying the least effective method -- cold turkey," he said.
The survey found that about 75% of smokers who had (unsuccessfully) tried to quit had tried complete withdrawal -- the "cold turkey" method. Moreover, many smokers reported confusion over the various smoking cessation options available to them.
To provide smokers who want to quit with a comprehensive source of information, the ALA has just published the Quit Smoking Action Plan. This program was developed by an expert panel chaired by Dr. Edwin B. Fisher, professor of psychology, medicine and pediatrics at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Action Plan describes all of the Food and Drug Administration-approved smoking cessation products, and provides information on support groups, as well as other counseling options.
"Those who want to quit ...need a wide array of tools to suit their personalities. Our new Action Plan will be a roadmap to guide (smokers) down the right course," Munzer said, according to the ALA press statement.
