Treatment Period
The treatment period was nine weeks. Target quitting dates were set for the second week, usually day 8. Participants were assessed weekly and attended a brief (15 minutes or less) individual counseling session for smoking cessation each week. Counseling topics included motivation, identification of smoking triggers, coping responses, weight management, and use of the medications. The counselors used a standardized treatment developed by Hurt and colleagues.12 The subjects also received a supportive telephone call from a counselor approximately three days after the target quitting date.