Stop ourselves smoking: a smoking cessation programme.

The stop ourselves smoking (SOS) pilot programme, designed for those who want to stop smoking, is based on a self-help approach. It was developed in Christchurch to supplement existing smoking cessation programmes in the community. Of the 142 participants, 118 finished the course. Of these, 80 (68%) were not smoking at the end of the eighth week and 61 (52%) were still not smoking at the end of the 15-month followup period. The success of this programme exceeds that of any reviewed in the literature. The format of the programme is readily adaptable to other lifestyle programmes.