Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
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To examine the time patterns and predictors of initiating a quit attempt and subsequent sustained abstinence among youth smokers after receiving a telephone smoking cessation intervention. ⋯ Our findings support the "catastrophic" pathway of youth smokers initiating a quit attempt. Counselors should capture the quitting momentum and motivate youth smokers to quit immediately. Interventions should include a health assessment and discussion of smokers' physical fitness. During the first week of abstinence, intensive monitoring of withdrawal symptoms, together with booster counseling, is helpful in preventing smoking relapse and could remotivate those who fail to sustain their quit attempt.