|
Smoking Hotlines Effective For Quitters
The U.S. Public Health Service is giving its stamp of approval to toll-free counseling hotlines as an effective support system for those trying to quit smoking. The agency has also recommended seven medications to aid individuals in their quitting efforts: bupropion SR, nicotine gum, nicotine inhaler, nicotine lozenge, nicotine nasal spray, nicotine patch, and varenicline.
The two approaches were deemed highly effective in the agency’s study, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update, which was designed to help physicians offer their patients the most up-to-date therapies.
"Decades after the hazards of smoking first gained national attention, tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of illness and death in our society," said Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., Acting Surgeon General. "The good news is that we now have some of the best evidence-based treatments available for tobacco cessation."
With more emphasis being placed on wellness initiatives in the workplace, cessation plans involving counseling are hailed as a way to cut long-term health costs among employees. This is particularly true among individuals with a history of health problems. According to AHRQ's 2007 National Healthcare Quality Report, the percentage of hospitalized heart attack patients who were counseled to quit smoking has increased from 43 percent in 2000-2001 to 91 percent in 2005.
Resources:
|
