Promoting hospital-based smoking cessation services at major Swiss hospitals: a before and after study.

Questions Under Study: Whether a 1-year nationwide, government supported programme is effective in significantly increasing the number of smoking cessation clinics at major Swiss hospitals as well as providing basic training for the staff running them.

Methods: We conducted a baseline evaluation of hospital services for smoking cessation, hypertension, and obesity by web search and telephone contact followed by personal visits between October 2005 and January 2006 of 44 major public hospitals in the 26 cantons of Switzerland; we compared the number of active smoking cessation services and trained personnel between baseline to 1 year after starting the programme including a training workshop for doctors and nurses from all hospitals as well as two further follow-up visits.

Results: At base line 9 (21%) hospitals had active smoking cessation services, whereas 43 (98%) and 42 (96%) offered medical services for hypertension and obesity respectively.

Effect of pre-treatment with nicotine patch on withdrawal symptoms and abstinence rates in smokers subsequently quitting with the nicotine patch: a randomized controlled trial.

Aims: To determine whether 2-week pre-treatment with transdermal nicotine influences withdrawal symptoms or success rate of subsequent smoking cessation using nicotine patches.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Smoking cessation clinic.

Influence of long-term smoking reduction on health risk markers and quality of life.

We have recently published efficacy and safety data of a study using an oral nicotine inhaler in smoking reduction. The current analysis was undertaken to assess the secondary objectives of the trial: the influence of long-term smoking reduction on health risk markers. Four hundred healthy volunteers, unable or unwilling to stop smoking immediately, were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in smoking reduction; 310 were evaluable up to 2 years.