The effectiveness of nationally implemented smoking interventions in Denmark

Objective. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions at a national level. Method. A systematic follow-up was made of 3628 adults who participated in smoking cessation groups or in individual interventions in different settings in Denmark from January 2001 to March 2002. Results. The rates of continued abstinence from smoking were estimated as 18% and 16% after 6 and 12 months, respectively, for the 3628 participants from 101 smoking cessation units. Among participants, who accomplished at least 75% of the intervention, the rates of non-smokers after six and twelve months were 23% and 19%, respectively. Five of the investigated factors influenced continued abstinence after 12 months: gender, age, degree of nicotine dependence, the format and the setting of the cessation service. Conclusions. The study shows that it is possible to implement uniform smoking cessation interventions at a national level keeping the same abstinence rates as previously achieved in randomized clinical trials. The successful cessation interventions were run by nurses and equivalent staff that had received only 3 days of training and had no other particular therapeutic skills.