Casuística de quatro anos de uma consulta de apoio ao fumador Four years' follow up at a smoking cessation clinic

Smoking is an important cause of pulmonary pathology and this addiction can be regarded as a chronic, recurrent disease. The benefits of smoking cessation are unquestionable and all physicians should become more active and assertive in recommending it. Aim: To characterise the population seeking medical support for smoking cessation and understand why some successfully stop smoking and others do not. Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records of outpatients in follow-up between January 2003 and June 2006. Age, gender, age at smoking initiation, smoking burden (number of pack–years), associated diseases, degree of dependence (Fagerstrom