Tobacco use assessment: what exactly is your patient using and why is it important to know?

This article was presented as part of the 2007 International Society on Hypertension in Blacks (ISHIB) lifestyle modification workshop focusing on smoking cessation. The three objectives addressed included 1) identification of the known and little-known health effects of cigarette smoking (eg, endocrine effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and gonadal and reproductive function), 2) examination of the growing trends of nontraditional forms of tobacco, (cigar and water pipe smoking), and 3) identification of the importance of assessing your patients' tobacco use by asking additional tobacco screening questions of all patients, but particularly with youth and young adults. In addition, clinicians and practitioners are encouraged to increase educational efforts that address the myths that alternative forms of tobacco use, such as cigars and water pipes, are safe alternatives to cigarettes.