Monitoring and Evaluation of Non-pharmacological Anti-smoking Treatment by Monoximetry: The First Three Months

This paper presents the process and results of a research of monitoring and evaluation of the attempt to quit smoking in a group of smokers. The technique that smokers used was Neural Stimulation (NS), taught and applied to smokers participants by a group of volunteers from a non- Governmental Organization (NGO). The objective of the research was to determine the effectiveness of this technique. The researchers chose to perform the measurement of the rate of expired carbon monoxide through a monoximeter. The methodology included to track all phases of the treatment carried out by the volunteers of the NGO and to evaluate results after the third month of treatment. 27 workers started the treatment but only seven of these made all stages of data collection. One of them showed a considerable smoking decrease and claimed stopped smoking, but also only one claimed to have carried out self-treatment of NS, as recommended by the technique and it was not the same person who stopped. We conclude that monitoring by volunteers was an important incentive in the beginning, considerably reducing the rates of expired carbon monoxide, but in this study the most part of participants themselves were unable to leave their addiction.