Brief interventions and referral for smoking cessation

This guidance is for GPs and other professionals working in local health services – in primary care trusts (PCTs), pharmacies and dental practices – and NHS hospitals. The recommendations include the following advice: Ask people who smoke how interested they are in quitting. If th ...

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This guidance is for GPs and other professionals working in local health services – in primary care trusts (PCTs), pharmacies and dental practices – and NHS hospitals.

The recommendations include the following advice:

• Ask people who smoke how interested they are in quitting.
• If they want to stop, refer them to an intensive support service such as NHS Stop Smoking Services.
• If they are unwilling or unable to accept a referral, offer a stop smoking aid (pharmacotherapy).
• A range of NHS agencies should offer advice and support on how to stop smoking.
• Monitoring systems should be set up so that health professionals know whether or not their patients smoke.

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