Background: Smoking cessation involves changing of unhealthy smoking habit which accounts for 63% of global deaths. This study was in response to the United Nations General Assembly Global Forum for Non-communicable Disease’s invitation to nurse researchers to evaluate smoking cessation interventions for their students.

Objective: To evaluate “Tobacco-free campus initiative” combined with carbon monoxide monitoring and tobacco cessation interventions as a quitting model for student nurses.

Methods: This was the second part of a multi-phase study which involved a series of ‘No- smoking’ campaigns, enforced tobacco-free campus initiative, mandatory weekly monitoring of biological health indicators and biochemical feedback using expiratory carbon monoxide (CO) levels for 36 real cigarette and shisha smokers. The quasi-experiment lasted 10 weeks. Participants’ data on tobacco use, quit attempts and self-efficacy (SE) were collected using a 25- item bi-lingual (Arabic -English) questionnaire. Counseling and smoking cessation aids of their choice were offered.

Results: All the participants lived with their families and 70% of the families smoked cigarettes and/or shisha. Previous quit attempts were statistically higher in males than females, (47.2% Vs 13.9 % U=76.00, P= 0.007). High SE to quit was 36% and the quit rate for the last 4 weeks was 13.9%. Biological health indicators of participants such as pulse rate and systolic blood pressure improved as a result of cessation interventions.

Conclusion: Tobacco product ban on college campus, CO monitoring followed by counseling were effective smoking cessation interventions. (Reprinted with permission)