Tobacco and the health care industry

The 1964 US Surgeon General's report was the first from the medical profession to document tobacco as a cause of cancers and other serious illnesses. Over the next 40 years, numerous health care groups have worked to decrease tobacco use and lower the associated morbidity and mortality. Registered nurses are the largest group of health care providers and have one of the highest rates of smoking among health care professionals. As such, registered nurses are an important population to target and treat for nicotine addiction. Hospital-based tobacco control programs can provide nurses and other health care professionals with convenient on-site treatment. The chronic care model provides a useful framework for enhancing tobacco control activities and improving outcomes.