Smoking Cessation Strategies: The Family Physician's Role

Family physicians are in an ideal position to help patients who smoke. Our most effective strategy is ourselves, offering clear information and advice to stop smoking, combined with a follow up plan. Although controlled research is lacking for most intervention strategies, a number of them do work at least for the short-term. Combined with the physician's ongoing support and reinforcement, patients may choose from 'cold turkey', hypnotherapy, nicotine-containing gum, acupuncture, group programs or behavioral methods such as rapid smoking. The author's experience with some of these interventions is included.