Why worry about smoking cessation?
Quitting smoking is the single-most effective way to improve patient health outcomes. Tobacco use is responsible for more than 45,000 deaths in Canada annually, and significant additional impact on quality of life, yet nearly one in six Canadians continue to use tobacco. Statistics Canada indicates that 3 in 5 smokers intend to quit in the next 6 months, yet only 3-5% are successful without assistance.
Brief contact interventions can powerfully motivate clients to make a quit attempt.
As health professionals, you encounter people at "teachable moments" when they may be more inspired to make a change. Advice from a health professional can increase success with quitting by up to 30%, and a referral to one or more Smokers' Helpline services can further improve those odds.
Smokers' Helpline can be used on its own or as a seamless adjunct to clinical intervention.
Follow the 3 A's with every client:
Ask
about tobacco use at every visit
"Have you used any form of tobacco in the last 7 days?"
Advise
your client to quit
"Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health."
Arrange
for additional cessation support by directly referring clients to phone support
Smokers' Helpline provides:
- Evidence-based, ongoing support for your client at key times during the quitting process
- Tailored education and resources delivered by smoking cessation experts
- Access to the latest, innovative cessation programs
- Information about other resources in your clients' community
Results:
Up to 8x more successful than quitting without support
60% of people said they would not have called us had Smokers' Helpline not called them
94% of clients would recommend Smokers' Helpline to a friend in need
90% of our clients took an action toward quitting