THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: More than drugs, it is advice and counselling by a doctor or health worker that plays a vital role in smoking cessation, reveals a study conducted in Palakkad district. A S Pradeep Kumar, Additional Director (Public Health), Directorate of Health Services, Kerala, who led the study, said: “Smoking cessation using drugs is not feasible in developing countries due to issues of drug availability, affordability and social acceptability. As such, doctor’s advice and counselling by health workers are useful in promoting cessation.” The study, titled ‘Smoking Cessation Intervention through Primary Health Centres: Results of a Randomised Controlled Trial from Kerala, India,’ found that about 20 per cent smokers stopped smoking following advice and counselling, and around 10 per cent abstained from the habit even after two years. Conducted for the Project Quit Tobacco International, the study covered 755 male smokers, averaging 44 years, from six PHCs. Pradeep Kumar, who is also the convener of the High-Level Committee constituted by the State Government for dealing with issues related to tobacco use in Kerala, presented the poster form of the study at the ongoing 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Singapore. K R Thankappan of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Mark Nichter of University of Arizona, USA and A Mathew of Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram also collaborated in the study.
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