The results of TCA (Tobacco Cessation Activity) are generally limited to 20 40% achievement in quitting Tobacco. What other regimes / methods can be incorporated / utilized to get more better results?
Daily brief vigorous physical exercise must be included. Even 10 to 15 minutes daily will go a long way to help quit smoking by adlescents and young adults
After quitting the most important thing is the sustainability. Therefore, for each person motivating and demotivating factors should be taken into account and follow-up visits should be planned. I agree with Kum-nji about advising exercise although it may not be possible for everybody to do vigorous exercise.
The person quitting tobacco needs to learn skills to manage the reasons they use tobacco. Although we know that tobacco use really exacerbates anxiety most tobacco users don't know this or believe it when you tell them. They need to learn alternative skills that will help them manage anxiety/affect regulation. I agree that exercise is the best technique. It actually does not need to be "vigorous" exercise, but it has to be something they do daily, consistently - can be as simple as walking 45 minutes per day. In our inpatient treatment program (substance abuse and mental illness) the patients are not allowed to use tobacco for the 90 days they are here. We have recreational therapy for 1.5 hours every day and most patients begin to develop exercise habits as they go to the gym every day with their peers. We also offer NADA 5-point ear acupuncture protocol every day which the patients find very relaxing and we teach them biofeedback techniques based on heart rate variability and meridian based energy techniques such as Emotion Freedom Technique which patients can then use to manage anxiety/anger/depression. When they leave the program the majority of patients have moved in their stage of change regarding tobacco cessation. Most come in in precontemplation - angry that they can't smoke and most leave in the action stage - ready to make a serious attempt to stay away from tobacco.
In so far as the smoker is concerned, the highest barrier is the change from identifying as a smoker to identifying as a non-smoker. They have no positive signposts that help them change their identity. Being an ex-smoker is only a partial achievement and for the behaviour to be sustained they have to actually forge a new identity as a non-smoker. I suggest you check out my colleague Ron Borland's recent book "Understanding Hard to Maintain Behaviour Change: A Dual Process Approach", Wiley, 2013
According to David Young, believe it is essential in the treatment of Smoking Cessation working with the identification as a smoker and his transition to stop being a smoker, the motivation to change techniques and mindfulness techniques to manage the craving.
I think that the most importan thing to quit smoking is to improve self-confident and arrange easy goals. I agree exercise is quite good, but just to say it people is not going to do. Use a tobacco first line treatment is also useful.
How about psychological support? For example family support post intervention?
Also some exploration of motives prior during and post intervention would be interesting here.
As I am not an expert in this area, this is just whatever came to my mind first. Literature review would add to that substantially.
Regards, Witold
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