Stress, social support, and stopping smoking after myocardial infarction in England.

STUDY OBJECTIVE--To examine the effect on mortality of stopping smoking after myocardial infarction and the psychosocial factors that influence the decision to stop. DESIGN--Analysis of smokers in a large prospective study. Self completed questionnaires provided information on psychosocial factors. SETTING--Coronary care units at six English hospitals participating in a multicentre clinical trial. SUBJECTS--These comprised consenting myocardial infarction survivors who had been identified as smokers and who completed questionnaires within seven days of infarct at six hospitals participating in the Anglo-Scandinavian study of early thrombolysis. The 532 patients identified have been followed for over five and a half years. The main outcome measure was five year all cause mortality. MAIN RESULTS--Smokers who stopped within one month showed significantly reduced mortality compared with those who persisted, adjusting for other prognostic indicators (odds ratio 0.56, 95% confidence interval 0.33, 0.98). Overall, 74% stopped smoking. Being married, low life stress levels before infarct, and higher social class were associated with stopping smoking but the differentials were small. Of the clinical variables, a final diagnosis of definite myocardial infarction was associated with stopping smoking. All associations remained after multiple logistic regression. CONCLUSION--Smoking cessation can halve the smokers' odds of dying after myocardial infarction and psychosocial factors play a small but important role in the important decision to stop smoking. Health professionals should continue to stress the importance of stopping smoking to all patients as there is little evidence to support specific directing of advice to relatively "stress or "socially isolated" groups.     

Predictors of attempting and succeeding at smoking cessation

This paper presents results of a prospective study which examined factors influencing self-initiated smoking behavior change in a cohort of smokers followed over 17 months. Employees of a cancer hospital and research center were surveyed about smoking habits, health status, attitudes about smoking and social-environmental factors. Seventeen months later, employees identified as smokers were resurveyed about their current smoking status, recent attempts at cessation and use of cessation aids in these attempts. Overall, 47% of subjects had not tried to stop smoking (non-stoppers, NS), 38% had attempted to quit but returned to smoking (recidivists, R) and 15% had successfully quit (SQ). Predictors of attempting cessation (R and SQ versus NS) included smoking fewer cigarettes daily, starting smoking at a later age, previous attempts at quitting, lower nicotine dependence, greater pressure to stop smoking and an expectation to quit in the near future. Amount smoked daily was the strongest predictor of successful quitting (SQ versus R). Findings from this study suggest intention to stop smoking is the most important factor differentiating smokers who attempt cessation from those who do not. Strength of smoking habit appears to be the strongest factor associated with successful quitting.     

A new method for describing smokers' consulting behaviours which indicate their motivation to stop smoking: an exploration of validity and reliability

BACKGROUND: Smokers vary in their readiness to try stopping smoking, but there currently are no objective tools for identifying smokers' consulting behaviours which indicate their level of motivation to try stopping smoking. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the construct validity and inter-observer reliability of the Smokers' Motivation Code (SMC). METHODS: General practice consultations between 29 different Leicestershire GPs and their patients were video-recorded. In 47 consultations, regular or occasional smokers discussed smoking with their GPs and their consulting behaviour was coded using the SMC. The reliability of three different observers' codings was investigated. Construct validity was also investigated by comparing smokers' consulting behaviours coded using the SMC with measures of motivation to stop smoking recorded on pre-consultation questionnaires. RESULTS: Two pairs of observers achieved good reliability when using the SMC to code smokers' consulting behaviours during a subset of 11 video-recorded consultations. For readiness behaviours (indicating motivation to stop smoking), kappas were 0.82 and 0.65, and for resistance behaviours (indicating little motivation to stop smoking), kappas were 0.74 and 1.0. For the 37 consultations attended by regular smokers, complete pre-consultation questionnaires were obtained. Smokers displaying readiness behaviours were significantly more likely than others to report having tried to stop in the past year, thinking about or trying to stop and to agree that their health would improve if they stopped smoking. Smokers displaying resistant behaviours were significantly less likely to report thinking about stopping/trying to stop smoking. CONCLUSION: We have provided some evidence to support the construct validity and inter-observer reliability of the SMC and have identified some consulting behaviours which might indicate smokers' motivation to stop smoking. Further work is needed to determine whether smokers' consulting behaviour can be used to predict future quit attempts.     

Quitting smoking and experience of smoking cessation interventions among UK Bangladeshi and Pakistani adults: the views of community members and health professionals

OBJECTIVE: To explore attitudes to quitting smoking and experience of smoking cessation among Bangladeshi and Pakistani ethnic minority communities. DESIGN: Qualitative study using community participatory methods, purposeful sampling, interviews and focus groups, and a grounded approach to data generation and analysis. SETTING: Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, 2000-2002. PARTICIPANTS: 53 men and 20 women aged 18-80 years, including smokers, former smokers, and smokers' relatives, from the Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities; and eight health professionals working with these communities. RESULTS: Motivation to quit was high but most attempts had failed. "Willpower" was the most common approach to quitting. For some, the holy month of Ramadan was used as an incentive, however few had been successful in quitting. Perceived barriers to success included being tempted by others, everyday stresses, and withdrawal symptoms. Few participants had sought advice from health services, or received cessation aids, such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or buproprion. Family doctors were not viewed as accessible sources of advice on quitting. Health professionals and community members identified common barriers to accessing effective smoking cessation, including: language, religion and culture; negative attitudes to services; and lack of time and resources for professionals to develop necessary skills. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of motivation do not seem to be matched by effective interventions or successful attempts to quit smoking among Bangladeshi and Pakistani adults in the UK. There is a need to adapt and test effective smoking cessation interventions to make them culturally acceptable to ethnic minority communities. UK tobacco control policies need to give special attention to the needs of ethnic minority groups.     

Smoking, smoking cessation, and use of smoking cessation aids and support services in South Derbyshire, England

OBJECTIVES: To describe smoking behaviour, motivation to quit and quit rates, and the effect of advice and support for smoking cessation among smokers from more and less disadvantaged socio-economic groups in South Derbyshire, a mixed urban and rural area of central England. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with a random, stratified sample of people aged 25-44 years and people aged 65-74 years with over-sampling of populations living in disadvantaged areas. Main outcome measures included the proportion of smokers wishing to quit and quitting in the last year; reported advice to quit from family and friends and health professionals; and awareness and use of NHS smoking-cessation services. RESULTS: Over half of smokers aged 25-44 years, about one-third of women smokers and 40% of male smokers aged 65-74 years wished to quit. This varied little by socio-economic status. Quit rates were generally lower among smokers of lower socio-economic status (SES), especially among people aged 25-44 years. Smokers of lower SES reported slightly less advice to quit from family and friends, and more so from health professionals. Awareness and use of cessation services was about 30% and 5%, respectively, among smokers and recent quitters. Awareness varied little but accessing services was generally higher among smokers of lower SES. CONCLUSIONS: Despite evidence that health professionals and cessation services were targeting smokers with lower SES and of similar motivation to quit, quit rates were lower. Broader tobacco control interventions targeting the social and environmental contexts that create and maintain socio-economic differentials in smoking are required.     

Quitting smoking among adults--United States, 2001-2010

Quitting smoking is beneficial to health at any age, and cigarette smokers who quit before age 35 years have mortality rates similar to those who never smoked. From 1965 to 2010, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults in the United States decreased from 42.4% to 19.3%, in part because of an increase in the number who quit smoking. Since 2002, the number of former U.S. smokers has exceeded the number of current smokers. Mass media campaigns, increases in the prices of tobacco products, and smoke-free policies have been shown to increase smoking cessation. In addition, brief cessation advice by health-care providers; individual, group, and telephone counseling; and cessation medications are effective cessation treatments. To determine the prevalence of 1) current interest in quitting smoking, 2) successful recent smoking cessation, 3) recent use of cessation treatments, and 4) trends in quit attempts over a 10-year period, CDC analyzed data from the 2001--2010 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS). This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which found that, in 2010, 68.8% of adult smokers wanted to stop smoking, 52.4% had made a quit attempt in the past year, 6.2% had recently quit, 48.3% had been advised by a health professional to quit, and 31.7% had used counseling and/or medications when they tried to quit. The prevalence of quit attempts increased during 2001--2010 among smokers aged 25--64 years, but not among other age groups. Health-care providers should identify smokers and offer them brief cessation advice at each visit; counseling and medication should be offered to patients willing to make a quit attempt.     

The total lifetime health cost savings of smoking cessation to society

BACKGROUND: Smoking cessation has major immediate and long-term health benefits. However, ex-smokers' total lifetime health costs and continuing smokers' costs remain uncompared, and hence the economic savings of smoking cessation to society have not been determined. METHODS: The economic effects of smoking cessation in a lifetime perspective have been examined by comparing the health costs of continuing smokers and ex-smokers by quantity of daily tobacco consumption, age, gender and disease group, while taking differences in life expectancy and the reductions in relative risks after cessation into account. RESULTS: The total lifetime health cost savings of smoking cessation are highest at the younger ages. Although the economic savings vary with age at quitting, gender and quantity of daily tobacco consumption, all ex-smoking men and women who quit smoking at the age of 35 to 55 years generate sizeable total lifetime cost savings. At older ages, the total lifetime health cost savings of smoking cessation are of little economic consequence to the society. The total, direct and productivity lifetime cost savings of smoking cessation in moderate smokers who quit smoking at the age of 35 years are 24,800 euros, 7600 euros, and 17,200 euros in men, and 34,100 euros, 12,200 euros, and 21,800 euros in women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Lifetime health cost savings of smoking cessation to society are substantial at younger ages, in terms of both direct and productivity costs.     

Prevalence of smoking among employees of a university hospital

This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the prevalence of smoking among employees of a university hospital in Southern Brazil. Data collection happened in 2008, during the periodic health exam, using a questionnaire, according to the smoking status of the employees. The sample consisted of 1,475 subjects, in which 979 (66.4%) were non-smokers, 295 (20%) former smokers and 201 (13.6%) smokers. Smoking was more prevalent among employees with lower education levels and among professionals in administrative positions. Among smokers, low dependence was identified, as well as desire and high degree of motivation to stop smoking, with health concerns as the main reason. Thus, taking into account the motivation of smokers to stop smoking, this is an appropriate time for health education and specific support to employees in the process of smoking cessation.     

General practitioners' views on and referral to NHS smoking cessation services

OBJECTIVES: Increasing the rate of smoking cessation remains a major public health goal. To help achieve this in the UK, National Health Service (NHS) smoking cessation services have been established to provide treatment for smokers wanting help with stopping. Referrals from general practitioners (GPs) are crucial to the success of these clinics. This study aimed to assess English GPs' self-reported interactions with, and attitudes towards, their local smoking cessation services. STUDY DESIGN: Postal survey assessing the attitudes of GPs in England towards, and formal interactions with, NHS smoking cessation services. METHODS: A questionnaire was posted to a random sample of 544 GPs in England (response rate 63%). GPs' self-reported interactions with smoking cessation services and their attitudes towards these clinics were assessed. GPs were also asked what factors determined whether they prescribed nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) and Buproprion (Zyban), and what was the extent and nature of their smoking cessation interventions with their patients. RESULTS: Most GPs (94%) reported that they were aware of the specialist smoking cessation service in their area. Seventy percent of GPs supported the continuation of current funding for specialist smoking cessation services. Seventy percent reported that they referred patients to these services, and 55% had staff within their practices trained as community smoking cessation advisors. Most GPs (79%) reported 'clinical need' as a determinant of whether they prescribed NRT/Zyban, and a few GPs cited 'budgetary constraints' as a factor (15%). Ninety-eight percent of GPs reported that they record smoking status when new patients join their practice, and they advise smokers to stop 'at least every now and then'. CONCLUSIONS: GPs support the existence and continuation of specialist smoking cessation services, and most reported that they refer patients to them. Virtually every GP reported that they record smoking status when new patients join their practice, and they advise smokers to stop 'at least every now and then'.     

Smoking habits and smoking cessation among North Carolina nurses

A 1987 questionnaire survey of a 1% random sample (n = 356) of registered nurses in North Carolina provided data on the smoking habits and smoking cessation. Fifty-six percent were never smokers; 19% were current smokers. Among the ever smokers, 31% had quit smoking for at least one year. Twenty-two percent of the former smokers had smoked less than 5 years and 39% less than 10 years before quitting. Anecdotal notes from never smokers suggested that their major deterrent to smoking was their own parents smoking. Concerns about the addictive smoking behavior and health effects of smoking observed in their parents as well as concerns about potential health risks to themselves deterred them from smoking. Concerns about the adverse consequences of smoking was the most influential factor influencing smoking cessation and reduction of cigarette smoking. Friends' and family's encouragement to stop smoking was the most influential external factor motivating nurses to quit or reduce cigarette consumption. Fifty-seven percent of the former smokers quit smoking after one or two attempts while 53 of the current smokers had tried to quit 3 or more times - 90% had tried at least once to quit smoking; however, only 18% of the current smokers had abstained for more than one year during any of their attempts to quit. Implications of the results include: (1) smoking cessation programs for nurses in the workplace may have considerable impact since the majority of nurses who smoke are tying to quit; (2) relapse prevention strategies need to be an integral part of such smoking cessation programs including involvement of family and friends to support the smokers in their cessation efforts.     

Effectiveness of training health professionals to provide smoking cessation interventions: systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE--To assess the effectiveness of interventions that train healthcare professionals in methods for improving the quality of care delivered to patients who smoke. DESIGN--Systematic literature review. SETTING--Primary care medical and dental practices in the United States and Canada. Patients were recruited opportunistically. SUBJECTS--878 healthcare professionals and 11,228 patients who smoked and were identified in eight randomised controlled trials. In each of these trials healthcare professionals received formal training in smoking cessation, and their performance was compared with that of a control group. MAIN MEASURES--Point prevalence rates of abstinence from smoking at six or 12 months in patients who were smokers at baseline. Rates of performance of tasks of smoking cessation by healthcare professionals, including offering counselling, setting dates to stop smoking, giving follow up appointments, distributing self help materials, and recommending nicotine gum. METHODS--Trials were identified by multiple methods. Data were abstracted according to predetermined criteria by two observers. When possible, meta-analysis was performed using a fixed effects model and the results were subjected to sensitivity analysis. RESULTS--Healthcare professionals who had received training were significantly more likely to perform tasks of smoking cessation than untrained controls. There was a modest increase in the odds of stopping smoking for smokers attending health professionals who had received training compared with patients attending control practitioners (odds ratio 1.35 (95% confidence interval 1.09 to 1.68)). This result was not robust to sensitivity analysis. The effects of training were increased if prompts and reminders were used. There was no definite benefit found for more intensive forms of counselling compared with minimal contact strategies. CONCLUSIONS--Training health professionals to provide smoking cessation interventions had a measurable impact on professional performance. A modest, but non-robust, effect on patient outcome was also found, suggesting that training alone is unlikely to be an effective strategy for improving quality of care, unless organisational and other factors are also considered.     

Cigarette smoking and cessation behaviors among urban blacks and whites

Smoking behaviors among blacks and whites were studied in a population-based sample of 2,626 residents of Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN. More blacks than whites were found to be smokers, before and after adjusting for age and education differences. More whites than blacks were former smokers, but the prevalence of those who had never smoked was comparable for whites and blacks. Among smokers, the mean number of cigarettes smoked per day was lower among blacks than whites, but more blacks were found to smoke cigarettes with high "tar" (dry particulate matter) and nicotine content. Men smokers were found to smoke more than women smokers, young people smoked more than older people, and those with a high school education or less smoked more than those with more than a high school education. Smoking cessation behavior consisted mostly of a variety of strategies that began with reducing cigarette consumption, followed by changing to lower tar brands, attempting to quit, and actually quitting. In general, a higher percentage of whites than blacks reported smoking cessation behaviors. A greater percentage of white than black women had tried cigarette brands lower in tar and nicotine within the previous year. Among men, a lower percentage of black than white smokers had tried quitting, and fewer black men planned to quit in the future. Blacks appeared to lag behind whites in their efforts to quit smoking. Smoking behavior continues to be problematic for both blacks and whites. Studies are needed to explain better the racial differences in smoking and smoking cessation behaviors, and to facilitate programs to encourage cessation.     

Views on smoking cessation methods in ethnic minority communities: a qualitative investigation

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this qualitative analysis is to increase our understanding of minority smokers' experiences and beliefs about guideline-recommended smoking cessation treatments. METHODS: We conducted sixteen focus groups (N=95) among current and former smokers from four ethnic minority communities in Minneapolis/St. Paul in 2005. Focus groups were conducted separately for American Indians, Vietnamese, Hmong and African Americans. RESULTS: Participants reported little experience with counseling and views on seeking help from physicians were mixed. African American and American Indian participants expressed feelings of mistrust and negative experiences with doctors. Hmong and Vietnamese smokers viewed doctors positively but did not regard them as an important resource to help with quitting, and especially for Vietnamese, the cultural value of mental control and self-determination was seen as most important to quit smoking. Across all the groups, pharmacotherapy was rarely utilized and participants had low knowledge and poor understanding of the benefits of pharmacotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Personal beliefs, views toward doctors, and lack of knowledge are important determinants of the use of tobacco treatments among ethnic minority smokers. In order to increase minority smokers' utilization of evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments, effective strategies are needed to deliver accurate information about treatment from trusted sources.     

History of lifetime smoking, smoking cessation and cognitive function in the elderly population

To examine potential associations of the history of lifetime smoking and smoking cessation with cognitive function in the elderly. In a population-based cohort study of older adults in Saarland, Germany, a detailed lifetime history of smoking was obtained using standardised questionnaires. Cognitive function was assessed with a validated telephone-based instrument (COGTEL) at the five-year follow-up in a subsample of n = 1,697 participants with a baseline age >65 years. Multiple linear regression models were employed to predict cognitive performance, adjusting for potential confounding factors. Ever-smokers with a higher cumulative dose of smoking in pack-years scored lower in the cognitive assessment than never-smokers, with the association being more pronounced in current smokers than in former smokers. In fully adjusted models, current smokers with 21–40 pack-years scored 4.06 points lower (95 % CI ?7.18 to ?0.94) than never-smokers. In former smokers, a longer time since smoking cessation was associated with higher scores in the cognitive test with reference to current smokers, even after adjustment for pack-years. Former smokers who had quit for more than 30 years scored 4.23 points higher (95 % CI 1.75 to 6.71) than current smokers. Dose–response-relationships of cognitive function with cumulative dose of smoking as well as with time since smoking cessation were substantiated by restricted cubic splines regression. Our results support suggestions that smokers are at an increased risk for cognitive impairment in older age; that the risk increases with duration and intensity of smoking, and subsides with time after smoking cessation.     

Attitudes and opinions of French cardiologists towards smoking

To assess attitudes and opinions of French cardiologists towards tobacco, a postal survey was performed in 1993 of all members of the French Society of Cardiology using a questionnaire designed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Union against tuberculosis and lung diseases (IUATLD) for health professionals. 730 cardiologists responded to the mailing. The mean age of them was 47±9 years, 84% were males. The prevalence of smoking was 27% (14% daily smokers and 13% occasionally smokers). There were more never smokers in age group <45 than in those aged 45 and more(33% vs 21%). Of daily smokers, 42% claimed to have made a serious attempt to stop smoking, but only 16% expected to have stopped within five years of the survey. French cardiologists aged 29–45 years had a better knowledge of tobacco related respiratory and cardiovascular diseases than those over 45 years old. Only 64% (54% of daily smokers) would counsel a patient to stop smoking if he did not have a smoking related illness and did not himself raise the question. 53% thought they had sufficient knowledge to advise their patients on stopping smoking. The results compared to those of the French general practitioners survey, showed a lower prevalence of daily smokers. French cardiologists especially those aged 29–45, have a better knowledge of the risk of cardiovascular diseases. But only 64% of them would advise any smoker patients. These results also demonstrated the influence of personal smoking of the attitude of cardiologists towards smoker patients.     

Patterns and predictors of smoking cessation among users of a telephone hotline.

Most former cigarette smokers in the United States have stopped without formal assistance. However, a large proportion of smokers desire and seek help other than by attending formal programs. It is important to recognize what factors are likely to influence the effectiveness of smoking cessation attempts among these persons. The authors report results of a prospective cohort study of 1,552 smokers who called a stop smoking hotline to request self-help smoking cessation information. The participants were classified into three groups based on reports at the 6-month followup: 242 quitters, 497 recidivists, and 813 nonquitters. Baseline and followup data were used to evaluate three comparisons: quitters versus nonquitters, quitters versus recidivists, and recidivists versus nonquitters. Nonquitters appear to be less motivated and more doubtful of their abilities to quit successfully compared with the other two groups. Quitters appear to live in a supportive environment for smoking cessation. Heavier smokers are more hesitant to try to quit, but once they make an attempt they are as likely to succeed as lighter smokers, when other factors are kept constant. Efforts to promote environments supportive of smoking cessation are likely to result in a larger number of successful quitters. Similarly, efforts to strengthen motivation and belief in personal ability to quit are likely to encourage more nonquitters to attempt to stop smoking. Finally, it appears that some smokers need a previous quit attempt before they are able to maintain cessation successfully.     

Health care costs among smokers,former smokers,and never smokers in an HMO

OBJECTIVE: We estimate long-term health care costs of former smokers compared with continuing and never smokers using a retrospective cohort study of HMO enrollees. Previous research on health care costs associated with former smokers has suggested that quitters may incur greater health care costs than continuing smokers, therefore, getting people to quit creates more expensive health care consumers. We studied the trend in cost for former smokers over seven years after they quit to assess how the cessation experience impacts total health care cost. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Group Health Cooperative (GHC), a nonprofit mixed model health maintenance organization in western Washington state. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using automated and primary data collected through telephone interviews. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We find that former smokers' costs are significantly greater (p<.05) in the year immediately following cessation relative to continuing smokers, but former smokers' costs fall in year two. This decrease maintains throughout the six-year follow-up period. Although former smokers cost more than continuing smokers in the year after cessation, this increase appears to be transient. Long-term costs for former smokers are not statistically different from those of continuing smokers and cumulative health care expenses are lower by the seventh year postquit. Our evidence suggests that smoking cessation does not increase long-term heath care costs. CONCLUSIONS: Health care costs among former smokers increase relative to continuing smokers in the year after cessation but fall to a level that is statistically indistinguishable in the second year postquit. Any net increase in costs among former smokers relative to continuing smokers appears compensated for within two years post-quit and is maintained for at least six years after cessation.     

北京市海淀区医务人员吸烟状况及控烟知识、态度、行为现况调查

[目的]了解北京市海淀区医务人员吸烟和控烟能力现状,为开展医务人员戒烟活动,提高控烟服务能力提供科学依据。[方法]采用系统抽样方法,调查6家医院的医务人员。[结果]现吸烟率9.7%,男性吸烟率39.8%。吸烟者主要是临床一线的中年医生,且为中、高级职称的医院内业务骨干。43.3%的医务人员在吸烟区吸烟。71.2%的医务人员没有接受过戒烟方面的培训。大多数的医务人员对控烟态度积极。27.9%的医务人员能根据患者的吸烟情况为其制定戒烟计划。87.9%的医务人员提醒过吸烟的患者戒烟,但吸烟的医务人员提醒患者戒烟的比例低于从不吸烟的医务人员。[结论]开展控烟系列培训提高医务人员整体的控烟能力。运用行政干预与健康教育相结合的手段促使吸烟的医务人员戒烟。     

Women's perceptions of support from partners, family members and close friends for smoking cessation during pregnancy--combining quantitative and qualitative findings

This article reports on data collected as part of a four-phase study initiated to strengthen practice in the field of smoking cessation during pregnancy. It focuses on the perceived support pregnant smokers would receive for quitting smoking and how this support could be effectively used by incorporating the education of partners/family in smoking cessation intervention strategies. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed, and data were collected from pregnant smokers through semistructured interviews and self-completed questionnaires. From the questionnaire data, the women reported that they would receive considerable support from their partners if they decided to stop smoking. The interviews, however, revealed that this support was 'potential' rather than 'real' and that the partners mostly made 'token gestures' such as smoking outside. None of the interviewed respondents reported receiving help in educating their partner/family about the risks of active and passive smoking, thus reducing the potential positive role they could play in smoking cessation. Whilst health professionals are aware of the important role the partner/family may play in successful smoking cessation interventions, these significant others are generally not involved. This study highlights the need for consideration to be given to providing opportunities for couples to be fully involved in smoking cessation interventions outside the antenatal environment.