WEDNESDAY, May 19, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Most smokers really do want to quit, and they will accept help when offered it by physicians, claims a study in the current issue of Preventive Medicine.
In the study, 68 percent of smokers who were offered free smoking cessation treatment at their regular medical clinic took advantage of the offer.
The results contradict previous research that suggested smokers do not want doctors intervening in their habit.
"Lack of interest among patients has been cited as a reason for not offering cessation help to smokers," lead researcher Dr. Michael Fiore said in a prepared statement. Fiore, director of the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention at the University of Wisconsin, said he believes "this study demonstrated convincingly that smokers are interested in getting help to quit."
Fiore noted that of the patients who asked for help, 75 percent preferred the most intensive treatment available -- counseling in conjunction with nicotine patch medication.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have more about quitting smoking.
