Smoking cessation: A successful behavioral/pharmacologic interface

Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature mortality in this country. Fortunately, there are both behavioral and pharmacological approaches that are effective in long-term smoking cessation. The purpose of this review will be first to highlight the short- and long-term effectiveness of behavioral, pharmacological, and combined approaches to smoking cessation. We will review what is known about the mechanisms of change in both behavioral and pharmacological treatments. Adherence to both approaches will be highlighted and cost-effectiveness issues will be discussed. It will be concluded that despite the relatively high cost per confirmed long-term quit smoker, smoking cessation is an area in which a high degree of cost effectiveness can be demonstrated.