Every November since 1977, the American Cancer Society has sponsored its national Great American Smokeout Day to encourage smokers to quit for at least one day in the hope that this might challenge them to stop using tobacco permanently.
Research shows that smokers are most successful in kicking the habit when they have some means of support, such as nicotine replacement products, counseling, prescription medicine to lessen cravings, and the encouragement of friends and family members. Despite that, only about 1 in 7 smokers report having tried any of the recommended therapies during his or her last quit attempt, according to cancer society statistics.
DANIELLE McCARTHY is an assistant professor of clinical psychology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in New Brunswick. Her research focuses on the development and refinement of treatments to help people stop smoking cigarettes. She is currently conducting a study on the psychological changes that people experience leading up to and during an attempt to quit smoking, and ways in which treatments do (or do not) affect these experiences.
Contact McCarthy at: 732-445-2418 (office) or by e-mail at demccart@rci.rutgers
Media Contact: Colleen Berry
732-932-7084, ext. 615
E-mail: cdberry@rci.rutgers.edu