title: A randomized trial assessing the Five-Day Plan for smoking cessation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of the Five-Day Plan (FDP) in helping smokers to stop smoking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial comparing intervention and control groups. The primary outcome measure was 12 months continuous abstinence verified by expired air carbon monoxide concentration. Secondary outcome measures were self-reported abstinence at end of treatment, at 3 and 6 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six towns in France.
  
  
  METHODS
  228 smokers, recruited by newspaper and radio advertisement, aged 18 years or over and willing to make an attempt to quit smoking.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Intervention group (119 participants) received the FDP, which is a behavioural group-based treatment programme that has been in operation in France since 1965. It involves five consecutive evening behavioural therapy sessions. The Control group (109 participants) received a single session discussing the health effects of smoking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the Intervention group, 67 participants (56%) quit smoking at the end of the FDP. After three months this number had been reduced to 30 (25%) and to 19 (16%) by the end of one year. In the Control group these numbers were 14 (13%) and 12 (11%), respectively, after three and 12 months. When considering the rate of cessation without lapse after one year a significant difference was observed with a 13% rate in the Intervention group and 3% in the Control group (P = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FDP may be considered as an aid for smokers who want to quit.
authors.affiliation: Université Louis Pasteur, Illkirch , France. romand@igbmc.u-strasbg.fr
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Romand
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gourgou
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sancho-Garnier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology