Smoking is not only harmful for the person who smokes but it is also dangerous for the persons who inhale dangerous fumes. Hence researchers all over the world are continuously striving to find effective ways to help people fight smoking.

Recent study revealed that individualized telephone counseling can greatly help teenagers in quitting smoking. Proactive phone counselling included motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral skills training.

Research team identified more than 2,000 smokers in 50 high schools in Washington State through classroom surveys of juniors. In 25 high schools teen smokers were given personalised smoking cessation counselling through phone after approval from their parents.

It was found that more than a year after the intervention started around 22% of teen smokers in the counseling group reported six months of abstinence as compared to 18% students in a non-interventional control group.

Kathleen Kealey, Hutchinson Center’s Cancer Prevention Program said: “Motivational interviewing is very caring, nonjudgmental, and respectful. It is non-confrontational. A counselor would never say, ‘I want you to quit smoking.’ Instead the counselor would ask what the behavior means to the participant. What do they like about it? What don’t they like about it?”