BARRIERS TO SMOKING CESSATION: RESULTS OF A SURVEY AMONG FAMILY PRACTICE PATIENTS

The perceived advantages of smoking cessation among the smokers include better health for themselves and their families along with monetary savings. Such information can be used to encourage smokers to quit the habit and should be part of all smoking cessation programs. Similarly, factors that the smokers believe can convince them to stop smoking such as realization of the benefits of smoking, seeing a smoker ill due to smoking and better health, can again be used to motivate smokers to stop smoking.

It is to be noted with interest that more smokers are willing to start smoking cessation on their own rather than join any program. There is a need to further study the reasons for such a preference. Are smokers reluctant to take direct help from others in quitting this addiction or are there deficiencies in the smoking cessation program.

We intend to share the information obtained from this survey with our colleagues and will use it in order to help smokers quit this habit and live a healthier and good quality life.

CONCLUSION
Smoking cessation is the key to good health. A better understanding of the factors that continue to propagate smoking will help us achieve better success at smoking cessation among patients.

We must incorporate strategies to counter the barriers to smoking cessation in our programs. Education of those who run smoking cessation programs, with regard to the concerns of smokers who want to give up smoking is mandatory, if we want to curb smoking among our communities.

We recommend further research and debate on the important issue of barriers to smoking cessation.