By Larry Keough

FSU Communications Group

Smokers who are sick and tired of puffing their lives away are finding out that they can kick the habit with the help of a loved one.

A study by FSU researcher Rey C. Martinez found that smokers who use the nicotine patch are nearly twice as likely to kick the habit if they get support from a non-smoking "significant other."

Martinez' findings may help reduce the number -- 390,000 -- of Americans who die annually from illnesses directly related to smoking.

The study found that 72.7 percent of the pack-a-day smokers surveyed abstained for at least a week after using the patch in a 10-week behavior modification program that included participation by a non-smoking mate. Those who tried to quit using only the patch had a 45-percent success rate.

In the program, couples agree to a contract to replace old habits, such as lighting up after dinner, with jogging, swimming and other enjoyable activities that are incompatible with smoking.

Martinez, who is now a researcher at the University of Texas at El Paso, said the non-smoking mates are taught how to help the recovery without assuming responsibility for it.

"The non-smoking mate's participation can range from verbal encouragement to involvement in the new activity," he said. "The bottom line is smokers tend to slip back into old habits and relapse unless their significant others provide them with the support and motivation to engage in non-smoking activities."

When smokers relapse, Martinez said, "it is critical that the non-smoking mate not panic, but be there to give the support to try again."

Martinez says 65 percent of smokers who relapse do so within three months. He is working on a follow-up study to find out if the smokers in the mate-support program also relapsed after three months.