Unfortunately research has shown that an insufficient percentage of physicians provide smoking cessation counseling to their patients. Smoking cessation clinics usually offer intensive support and involve multiple sessions. They may include a considerable variety of treatment components and tend to produce good long-term outcomes. Commonly offered nonprofit programs include those of the Seventh Day Adventist's Five Day Plan, the American Lung Association's Freedom From Smoking clinics, and the American Cancer Society's Fresh Start program. Programs that require a greater number of sessions have higher cure rates than those with few sessions.
Commercial programs are also available.
SmokEnders, Smoke Stoppers, Smokeless, and Schick are among the most common smoking cessation clinics. In considering commercial programs, physicians should note that they are often substantially more expensive than the nonprofit programs. At present there is little evidence to demonstrate that the commercial programs are more effective than those of nonprofit organizations. Commercial vendors indicate correctly that, for many smokers, a substantial fee may represent their high level of commitment and serve as an incentive for quitting. When an individual stops smoking there are a variety of symptoms, both physical and psychological, which may be experienced.