Prevention: tobacco control and cancer nursing

In the next century, tobacco will become the number-one cause of preventable death throughout the world, resulting in half a billion deaths. As global patterns of tobacco use change, tobacco-related morbidity and mortality will shift from developed countries to developing countries. Internationally, lung cancer will become the fifth leading cause of preventable death, affecting an increasing number of women. Tobacco cessation after a diagnosis of cancer may decrease treatment-related morbidity and increase survival. With the increasing number of cancer survivors, tobacco cessation becomes an important part of rehabilitation. This article aims to provide a foundation for developing strategies to involve cancer nurses throughout the world in an international campaign to prevent tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. The devastating health impacts of tobacco are reviewed, and highlights of new scientific findings about nicotine addiction are presented. New approaches to tobacco prevention, legislation, and regulatory policies are discussed. Tobacco assessment strategies and treatment interventions for use in cancer nursing clinical practice are reviewed, and global strategies for nursing action in tobacco control are offered.