EFFECTS OF A COUNSELING PROGRAM COMBINED WITH VERNONIA CINEREA HERBAL LOZENGES ON SMOKING REDUCTION AND CESSATION AMONG ADULT SMOKERS IN A SUBDISTRICT HEALTH PROMOTING HOSPITAL, BURI RAM PROVINCE, THAILAND

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study aimed to examine the effects of a counseling program combined with Vernonia cinerea herbal lozenges on smoking reduction and cessation among adult smokers. Outcomes included smoking-related health literacy, smoking cessation behaviors, daily cigarette consumption, and nicotine dependence. The study was conducted among 30 adult smokers recruited through purposive sampling from Ban Khok Hua Chang Subdistrict health promoting hospital, Buri Ram Province, Thailand. The intervention consisted of structured counseling sessions and the use of Vernonia cinerea herbal lozenges over the intervention period. Data were collected using validated instruments, including a smoking-related health literacy questionnaire, a smoking cessation behavior assessment, daily cigarette consumption records, and the fagerström test for nicotine dependence. Descriptive statistics and paired-sample t-tests were used for data analysis. The results demonstrated significant improvements following the intervention. Participants showed significantly higher mean scores in smoking-related health literacy and smoking cessation behaviors compared with baseline (p < .05). The average number of cigarettes smoked per day decreased significantly, and nicotine dependence levels were significantly reduced. A proportion of participants successfully quit smoking, while others substantially reduced cigarette consumption. These findings suggest that a counseling program combined with Vernonia cinerea herbal lozenges is an effective and culturally appropriate intervention for promoting smoking reduction and cessation. This integrated approach may be applied in community healthcare settings to support smoking cessation and improve public health outcomes.