Behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy: A case report on right approach for tobacco cessation

Abstract

Tobacco is one of the leading causes of various types of cancer, and more than five million people die globally from its ill-effects every year. It is reported that by the year 2040, tobacco-related deaths will exceed ten million annually. Smoking cessation programs are considered very useful in helping tobacco users to quit, but it is a very difficult addiction to break; thus effective approaches are required. The authors present a case of an 84-year-old male patient who was a chronic smoker and used to smoke 35-40 bidis per day. He started to notice the physical addiction and withdrawal symptoms due to which he was not able to quit tobacco on his own. After expert counselling, his habit of smoking gradually decreased and after a few months, he was able to quit tobacco completely with the help of behavioral modification and pharmacotherapy.