A joint statement released today on the Role of Health Professionals in Smoking Cessation focuses on the importance of health professionals in helping Canadians stop smoking.
Health professionals are in a unique position to assist smokers.
They are the most credible source of information on smoking cessation. Even a brief discussion with a health professional can significantly increase the quit rate. A smoker's likelihood of quitting increases when he or she hears the message from a number of health care providers from a variety of disciplines. Canada's health care professionals firmly believe that a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach is key to the success of any tobacco cessation strategy. Clinical tobacco intervention by health professionals should be part of a national tobacco control strategy that includes prevention and protection measures such as legislation, tax increases and restrictions on tobacco advertising.