Characteristics of patients seeking outpatient smoking cessation treatment before and after the implementation of a smoke-free law in Valencia (Spain): a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: Explore potential changes in the characteristics of patients requesting smoking cessation treatment at an outpatient setting in Spain before and after Law 42/2010 was enacted. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study with convenience sampling. The information was obtained from the medical records of patients receiving smoking cessation treatment from January 2008 to December 2014. SETTING: Hospital Clinico Universitario de Valencia. PARTICIPANTS: 423 patients who sought smoking cessation treatment 36 months before or 48 months after the enactment of the law. RESULTS: After the enactment of a comprehensive smoke-free law in Spain, the patients seeking smoking cessation treatment were older (p=0.003), had lower values of exhaled CO (p<0.0001), lower number of previous attempts to quit (p=0.027) and more history of medical problems related to smoking (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Our findings support the idea that society–nation level interventions could have an impact at the individual level, reflected by the change of patients’ characteristics. It seems that the Law 42/2010 mobilised certain group of patients to seek treatment.