What role do behavioral therapies play in supporting smoking cessation, and how can I implement them in my practice?

Behavioral therapies play a crucial role in supporting smoking cessation by increasing the likelihood of long-term abstinence. They are more effective when combined with pharmacotherapy, such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), cytisinicline, varenicline, or bupropion ¹.

Implementation in clinical practice includes providing individual or group counselling, which has been shown to be more effective than minimal support or pharmacotherapy alone ¹,².

Healthcare professionals should discuss smoking behaviour, develop a personal stop-smoking plan, and offer tailored behavioural support, including techniques like increasing the time between cigarettes, delaying the first cigarette of the day, and choosing specific periods when not to smoke ².

Use of behavioural support can be delivered via face-to-face sessions, telephone quitlines, or internet support sites, with regular follow-up to motivate and monitor progress, including measuring exhaled CO levels ².

Providing self-help materials and social media publicity can further support harm reduction and smoking cessation efforts ².