Physicians’ Advice to Quit Smoking

Tobacco cessation has received increasing attention, especially because the effectiveness of counseling and pharmacotherapy has been unequivocally demonstrated during the past several years. However, this study reveals a troubling lack of improvement in physicians’ cessation advice during this time. Sometimes 50% means the glass is half full. However, given the serious health consequences of tobacco use and the demonstrated benefit of physicians’ advice to quit,^6-10 in this situation the glass remains half empty.

Acknowledgments

Our study was funded in part through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation under its Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization Program.