Smokers do want to quit. In fact, 7 out of 10 smokers want to quit. But they need help. We know that only about 10 to 15% of smokers are ready to quit at any one time. Before counseling smokers, it’s important to determine where they are in the quitting process.
Physicians can help. The first step is to understand that smokers are all at different stages in the quitting process and that offering the same stop-smoking programs to all smokers, regardless of where they are in the quitting process, doesn’t work.
Treatments do work. There are many products available that have been proven effective in helping smokers quit.
Smoking Cessation: Clinical Practice Guideline Number 18. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 1996. |
