Dr. Kamerow calls on clinicians to approach smoking as a chronic condition that is very difficult but not impossible to treat. This is the first time the total body of information on smoking cessation has been analyzed systematically. In developing the guideline, the panel reviewed over 3,000 scientific articles that addressed the assessment and treatment of tobacco dependence, nicotine addiction, and clinical practice. Only half the smokers who see a doctor have ever been urged to quit. If only 100,000 physicians helped 10 percent of their patients end their addiction each year, the number of smokers in the United States would drop by an additional 2 million people annually.
Smoking is the single greatest preventable cause of illness and death in the United States.
People who smoke are at increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and other smoking-related illnesses that contribute to over 420,000 deaths a year. Write a patient's smoking status in the medical chart under vital signs. Ask patients about their desire to quit, and reinforce their intentions. Motivate patients who are reluctant to quit. Help motivated smokers set a quit date.