Health Professionals

What to Tell Your Patients About Smoking

Quitting Will Save Your Patents' Lives

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States.  Recent studies how that brief advice from a clinician about smoking cessation yielded a 66% increase in successful quit rates.  Talk to your patients.  Tell them that quitting is the most important step they can take to improve their health.  They will listen to you.

Ask about tobacco use...Identify and document tobacco use status of every patient at every visit. 

Advise to quit...In a clear, strong and personalized manner urge every tobacco user to quit.

Assess..For current tobacco user, is the tobacco user wiling to make a quit attempt at this time?

For the ex-tobacco user, how recent did you quit and are there any challenges to remaining abstinent?

Assist...For the patient willing to make a quit attempt, offer medication and provide or refer for counseling or additional behavioral treatment to help the patient quit.

Arrange...All those receiving the previous A's should receive followup.

• Most people find a combination of resources works best. 
• Many people do not quit on their first attempt.
• Many smokers need serveal tries to successfully quit, but the benefits are work it.

Resources for Quitting

• Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW
• www.smokefree.gov
  
• Smoking Cessation Products

Smokefree Women 

Smokefree Women provides resources for health professionals. These resources are designed to promote Smokefree Women to your patients, clients, and co-workers. 

For cutting-edge, evidence-based tools designed to help specific audiences quit smoking and remain smoke-free, visit here.