Smoking Cessation Guidelines in the Primary Care Setting

2013 
Smoking is a leading cause of premature death, and the World Health Organization estimates that 6 million deaths per year occur due to smoking related disease. Although most smokers want to quit smoking, it is not easy because of nicotine dependence. Primary care physicians can help smokers through assessment of dependence and motivation at their clinic visits. Brief advice provided by doctors is simple and one of the most cost-effective methods in tobacco treatment. The most effective method for smoking cessation is combining pharmaco-therapy with advice and behavioral support. In addition, intensive counseling, either individual or group, might promote smoking cessation. Proactive telephone counseling is another effective treatment option for quitting smoking. Health care professionals also need to be familiar with other sources of support, such as written materials, telephone ‘quitlines,’ and strategies for preventing relapses. In this article, we present evidence-based recommendations and treatment guidelines for health care professionals to increase the success rate of smoking cessation. Most evidence presented here has come from the research summarized in the Cochrane reviews and USA guidelines for treating tobacco use and dependence, published in 2008.
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