Session Speaker

Leaving the Pack Behind: Implications of Spontaneous Quitting for Women Smokers
Lynn C. Larabie
Canada

Women who smoke too much, in particular, pregnant smokers or women who are not candidates for nicotine replacement medication, are offered a novel drug-free approach to stopping smoking. Recent studies on smoking cessation have shown that many smokers quit spontaneously (Larabie, 2005, West & Sohal, 2006). Women smoke for reasons different from men - to control weight, relieve stresses of marital and caregiving life and for companionship and support. The detailed smoking histories of over 700 women reveal unique problems concerning cessation that, in some cases, can be circumvented by stopping abruptly. Even if spontaneous quit attempts are short-lived, this sudden break in the cycle of smoking-quitting and relapsing can restore confidence in a woman's ability to give up tobacco, despite ongoing pressures to smoke.

References:

Larabie, L.C. To what extent do smokers plan quit attempts? Tobacco Control 2005; 14: 425-428.

West, R. & Sohal, T. "Catastrophic" pathways to smoking cessation: findings from national survey, BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.38723.573866.AE (published 27 Jan 2006)