Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Since 1996 we have been providing a quit smoking support program using the Internet named Quit Smoking Marathon (QSM). It was the first health support program using the Internet in Japan. The participants who want to quit are provided knowledge about smoking hazards and the method of quitting smoking, but the most characteristic features of QSM is that it has been community based support containing training systems for quitters. The QMS is composed of three consecutive stages; STEP1, STEP2, STEP3. In STEP1, participants were supported interactively by the quitters in earlier programs through mailing lists and bulletin boards. In STEP 2 new quitters joined to the QSM community and were provided additional training programs to be supporters. In STEP3, quitters were educated to be supporters of new quitters to send supportive emails to new participants. We investigate the quitting status in each step. Quitting rate at the final day of STEP1 was reported to be 97.4%. In STEP2 (1 year after participating) quit smoking rate was reported 75.7%. In STEP3 (over 12 years since participated) the rate was 76.0%. Long term quit smoking support program is necessary and QMS is suggested to provide long-long terms support.

Biography

Yuko Takahashi has done MD and PhD and is a Professor of Nara Womens University. He is a Smoking Control Consultant certified by Japanese Association of Smoking Control Science. He is President of Quit Smoking Marathon and President of Japanese Association of Smoking Control Science.