Tobacco smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States today, and is responsible for at least 419,000 deaths each year.1
17 million people try to quit smoking for at least 1 day each year during the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout; only 4 million remain smoke free 1 month later.
Physicians play an important part in cancer control and prevention by encouraging their patients to quit smoking and by helping them find the appropriate tools and aids to do so. Studies have shown that even brief advice from a physician can produce a rise in abstinence rates of between 5% and 10%, and that more involvement can produce abstinence rates of between 20% and 36%.2
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cigarette smoking — attributable mortality and years of potential life lost — United States, 1990. MMWR. 1993;42:645-649.
2 Richmond RL. Physicians can make a difference with smokers: evidence-based clinical approaches. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 1999;3:100-112. |
