Helping
Smokers Quit
A Guide for Clinicians
1 - 8 0 0 - Q U I T N O W
National Quitline
Even brief tobacco dependence treatment
is effective and should be offered to every
patient who uses tobacco.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
Revised May 2008
open for medication chart
PHS Clinical Practice Guideline
Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update
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Ask about
tobacco use at
every visit.
Implement a system in your clinic that ensures that
tobacco-use status is obtained and recorded at every
patient visit.
VITAL SIGN
S
Blood Pr
essure:
________
________
________
________
________
__
Pulse: __
________
______ W
eight: __
________
______
Tempera
ture: __
________
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________
________
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__
Respirat
ory Rate
: ______
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Tobacco
Use:
Curr
ent
Former
Ne
ver
(circle on
e)
Ask
Advise
Advise all
tobacco
users to quit.
Use clear, strong, and personalized language.
For example,
“Quitting tobacco is the
most important thing you
can do to protect your
health.”
Assess
readiness
to quit.
Ask every tobacco user if he/she is willing to quit at
this time.
If willing to quit, provide resources and assistance
(see Assist section).
If unwilling to quit at this time, help motivate the
patient:
• Identify reasons to quit in a supportive manner.
• Build patient’s confidence about quitting.
Assess
Assist
tobacco
users with a
quit plan.
Assist the smoker to:
Set a quit date, ideally within 2 weeks.
Remove tobacco products from their environment.
Get support from family, friends, and coworkers.
Review past quit attempts—what helped, what led to
relapse.
Anticipate challenges, particularly during the critical
first few weeks, including nicotine withdrawal.
Identify reasons for quitting and benefits
of quitting.
Assist
(more)
(Assist continued)
Give advic