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The Role of Health Professionals in Tobacco Cessation
Tobacco is the number one risk factor for preventable death and disease in Canada. Nearly 7 million Canadians smoke, and an estimated 45,000 die every year of tobacco related diseases. The disability, disease and death related to tobacco use is preventable.
Over 80% of smokers would like to quit, but many don't know how or where to seek help, so will often turn to their health care provider for assistance. Health professionals, therefore can play a vital role in providing tobacco cessation intervention.
Health professionals are in an excellent position to incorporate tobacco intervention into their daily practices and can play a prominent role in tobacco control. They are trusted sources of information and advice, are in contact with a high percentage of the population and are role models in health matters.
With tobacco intervention, there will be a significant reduction in the number of tobacco users, a significant reduction in secondhand smoke, a decrease in tobacco related disease and a lowering of health care costs.
A brief intervention by health professionals significantly increases tobacco cessation rates and is one of the most cost-effective methods of reducing tobacco use. A smoker's likelihood of quitting increases when they hear a consistent "quitting tobacco" message from a number of health care providers.
Brief interventions encourage smokers to think about their smoking, consider disadvantages of smoking and consider benefits of quitting. Even those not ready to quit benefit from tobacco intervention and self-help materials that increases awareness and motivation to quit in the future.
Smokers also demonstrated a higher degree of satisfaction with their health care provider's overall care if the provider addressed smoking. As well, smokers not interested in quitting regard a provider addressing smoking as evidence of concern for their well-being.
All health professionals can make a difference. Providing tobacco cessation intervention is the single most effective step to lengthen and improve patients' lives.
Print a copy of The Role of Health Professionals in Tobacco Cessation Joint Statement (PDF).
Brief Tobacco Cessation Intervention
- Oral Health Program Staff (PDF)
Ordering Resources
Smokeless (Spit) Tobacco
Smokeless or spit tobacco is tobacco that is placed inside the mouth and comes in two forms: chewing tobacco and snuff.
Spit tobacco is composed of tobacco, sweeteners and salts to improve the flavor and chemicals such as formaldehyde, arsenic and cyanide. Spit tobacco contains nicotine, an addictive substance. A tin of snuff has approximately the same amount of nicotine as 60 cigarettes. In just one "pinch" of snuff, there would be approximately 4 to 5 cigarettes worth of nicotine and chemicals.
All Tobacco is Harmful
Spit tobacco is not safer than smoking and many people get hooked before they know the facts. There are short and long-term health effects associated with spit tobacco use. Some of the short-term effects include: increase heart rate and blood pressure and reduced appetite. Some long-term effects include: high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, loss of taste and smell, tiredness, muscle weakness, dizziness, depression, mood swings, lack of energy, gum disease, tooth decay and cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box and esophagus. There are other risks such as the spread of germs when spitting out tobacco that increases the risk of passing an infection to others. Pregnant women who use spit tobacco put their unborn child at risk for low birth weight and an early delivery.
Spit tobacco users can experience withdrawal symptoms when quitting and would benefit from nicotine replacement therapy and tobacco cessation counselling to increase their success for quitting.
See Smokeless (Spit) Tobacco (PDF) for more information.
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