Smoking is the most harmful and preventable chronic health risk in Europe and North America.
Overall, smoking-related deaths are 4 times greater than the sum total of deaths from illegal drugs, automobile accidents, AIDS, homicides and suicides. Smoking is also a well-established risk factor for coronary heart disease and cancer, which are the 2 major causes of premature death. Current smoking cessation treatments demonstrate modest clinical improvements over the trend of self-initiated quit attempts. Primary factors associated with relapse include elevated stress, low perceived efficacy in coping with smoking-related triggers, and elevated cardiovascular reactivity to stress. To date, programs for cessation training and relapse prevention strategies have failed to effectively address these contributors to relapse.