There are few data available concerning the health economics of adherence to smoking cessation therapy. Westman et al. (7) reported that 4 weeks of high-dose and 2 weeks of low-dose nicotine treatment were cost-effective and sufficient to enhance cessation. This 6-week intervention achieved 6-month abstinence rates comparable with those of studies offering 12 or more weeks of treatment.

There is some debate as to whether it is necessary to have health professionals available in the clinic providing supportive counselling (7,53,54). However, the literature search suggested that providing minimal or moderate support resulted in higher adherence rates than providing no support. A separate discussion is required to decide which of the professionals in the health care team should be responsible for the provision of this support.