Cessation counseling, even as brief as 3 minutes, is a valuable part of a smoking cessation attempt. Smokers should be offered smoking cessation treatment at every office visit. The more intense the treatment, the more effective it is in producing long-term abstinence from tobacco. Smoking Cessation Clinical Practice Guideline For Primary Care Physicians 1. Physician identifies patients who smoke.
Physician strongly advises patients to quit.
Help patients set a quit date. Ideally, the date should be within 2 weeks of the office visit. Counsel patients to prepare for the quit date. Help patients select the most appropriate smoking cessation therapy. Provide supplemental educational material if therapy prescribed does not provide an individualized support program.