When smokers are hospitalized they quit smoking, either voluntarily or involuntarily. Most of
them, however, go back to smoking soon after discharge. This study will test an innovative
approach which includes dispensing nicotine patches at discharge, providing proactive
telephone counseling post discharge, or giving a combination of the two. The interventions
are aimed at increasing the long term quit rate of these patients.
The specific aims of the study are to demonstrate the effects of two interventions,
dispensing nicotine patches at discharge and providing proactive telephone counseling soon
after discharge, on 12-month quit rates of hospitalized smokers in a 2 x 2 factorial design.