Smoking cessation for the neurologic patient

Given the vast health and socioeconomic effects of tobacco use, smoking cessation is no longer a topic reserved for the primary care physician. As a modifiable risk factor that can lead to stroke, dementia, multiple sclerosis, and other neurologic diseases, cigarette smoking should be addressed by all health care providers, including neurologists. Counseling, nicotine replacement therapies, and other medications are the mainstays of treatment. However, even brief advice from a health care professional at the end of a routine office visit can increase a patient's chances of quitting. Armed with a better understanding of smoking's effect on neurologic disease and available resources, such as toll-free quit lines and Web-based interventions, neurologists can help their patients who smoke take the first step to successful cessation.