Is a single session tobacco cessation workshop an effective treatment option?

This study evaluated Kaiser Permanente?s Single-Session Smoking Cessation Workshops offered in Fresno, California from January 2004 to May 2005. The purpose was to determine if participants quit smoking after attending a single-session class and remained smoke-free 1 year after attending a workshop. A telephone survey was conducted with all 84 participants resulting in a quit rate of 20.2%. This smoking cessation rate compared favorably with smoking cessation rate guidelines for best practices. In addition, this study explores behavioral health counseling in conjunction with pharmacology as smoking cessation aids as well as the unique characteristics of the Kaiser member population. Recommendations are given for Kaiser Permanente to continue offering the single-session workshop with suggested enhancements including telephone follow-up with workshop participants and expediting the smoking cessation medication process.