Older people who smoke: why nurses should help them to stop

Smoking is the greatest preventable cause of ill health and premature death in the UK. Although the prevalence of smoking is lower among adults over 65 years than in younger age groups, the actual number of older smokers is increasing steadily as the proportion of older adults in the population rises. If nurses are to function effectively in their role as health promoters it is important that they base their practice on appropriate research-based evidence. In this article we discuss the current evidence on the health consequences of smoking in later life and the benefits of cessation. We provide information on approaches that discuss some of the barriers to behavioural change. Our aim is to provide nurses with information that will help them to help older smokers make informed choices.