STAGE 4. Selecting the theoretical approach

What steps should be completed?

Step 1: Select the theoretical approach or approaches on which the intervention will be based

SMOKING-RELATED HARM REDUCTION PROGRAMMES

What are their bases?

Some smokers cannot or do not want to stop smoking entirely in the near future, so implementing different strategies designed to reduce the harm associated with smoking has to be considered.

Practical implications

The practical strategies in these programmes include:

• Reducing the number of cigarettes smoked.
• Facilitating temporary withdrawal periods by substituting nicotine in the short term. The effect of these periods of abstinence may be similar to that achieved by reducing tobacco use, and is likely to be helped by the use of nicotine substitution therapy.