Study Supports Quitting at Work

Dr. Robert Feldman of the Public and Community Health department is encouraging people to quit at work.

Quit smoking that is.

An eight-month study in Costa Rica headed by Dr. Feldman examined the social impact of quitting the habit and found that the workplace is a great atmosphere for a smoking cessation program.

Dr. Feldman collaborated with Instructor Alfonso Villalobos and Professor and Vice-Rector Roberto Rodríguez from the Universidad de Iberoamerica (UNIBE) in San José to conduct two focus groups: one comprised

of smokers and the other ex-smokers. The purpose of the focus groups was to understand the volunteers’ perceptions about quitting.

Aside from determining the effectiveness of a cessation program in the workplace, the study found that smokers and ex-smokers view family support as fundamental to quitting.

It was also found that a friend of a smoker who quits serves as a positive role model for the smoker.

The study resulted in two programs supported by UNIBE in the workplace setting that used the team’s findings to encourage smokers to quit. Dr. Feldman also funded the program with another assistant. Of the 14 participants in the sessions, five quit smoking. Dr. Feldman is hoping to acquire international funding to expand the program.

The study was made possible by an open memorandum between the University of Maryland and UNIBE and was supported by Costa Rica’s Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency, the leading agency on tobacco and smoking. Strong support was also provided by the Justice Department, where the focus groups were actually conducted.