How to Help People Stop Smoking

The most important step in addressing tobacco use and dependence is screening for tobacco use and offering minimal smoking cessation intervention messages to all persons who smoke, at every opportunity.
Use a cueing system for the client chart (e.g., labeling each client's smoking status clearly and visibly with stickers, stamps or on a flow sheet) to prompt healthcare providers to consistently and effectively integrate smoking cessation into their care.
Provide information and support for the use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological aids for persons who smoke, who want to quit.

The risks of short term nicotine replacement therapy as an aid to smoking cessation in healthy people are acceptable and are substantially outweighed by the risks of cigarette smoking.