[Information group--a solution to increase the efficacy of specialized intervention for smoking cessation].

Since 2007, in Romania, the Ministry of Health implements the national programme for tobacco control which contains also a sub-programme for sustaining smoking cessation through free treatment and counselling. Because the specialised intervention lasts too long (often more than 60 minutes) and the requests for support increased with a high rate, we had to identify methods to increase the efficacity of the intervention and, thus, the efficiency. According to this new situation, since January 2008, all the smokers asking for support to the Center for Smoking Cessation from the National Institute of Pneumology "Marius Nasta" had to participate to an "information group" prior to visit to the doctor or/and psychologist for specialized help.