Long‐term Evaluation of Controlled Smoking as a Treatment Outcome

Summary Smoking abstinence rates and mean daily cigarette consumption were observed in 1326 participants in a group cessation program before, immediately after, and one year after treatment. At the end of treatment 62% of the‘treatment successes’were abstinent. A further 18% were smoking 1–9 cigarettes per day and were termed ‘controlled smokers’. The mean reductions in cigarettes smoked per day from pre‐treatment baseline to the one‐year follow‐up were compared for immediate post‐treatment consumption groups. The long‐term reduction of controlled smokers was less than the treatment successes, but was not different from those smoking larger quantities at the end of treatment. The fact that the long‐term reduction of controlled smokers was no greater than others suggests that controlled smoking is not useful, either as a treatment goal or outcome.