Quality standard
This quality standard covers support and treatment to stop smoking and stop using smokeless tobacco, and harm-reduction approaches for people who are not ready to stop in one go. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.
In December 2022, this quality standard updated and replaced the quality standards on smoking: supporting people to stop (published August 2013) and smoking: harm reduction (published July 2015). The topics were identified for update following the annual review of quality standards. The review identified:
- updated guidance on tobacco: preventing uptake, promoting quitting and treating dependence and
- that the quality standards on smoking: supporting people to stop and smoking: harm reduction should be combined.
For more information see update information.
How to use NICE quality standards and how we develop them
Quality standards help you improve the quality of care you provide or commission. They apply in England and Wales (see the UK government website and Welsh government website). Decisions on how they apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland are made by ministers in the Scottish government and Northern Ireland Executive.
Find out how to use quality standards and how we develop them. We check our quality standards every August to make sure they are up to date.