Intended for healthcare professionals

  1. Smoking cessation:...
  2. Smoking cessation: evidence based recommendations for the healthcare system
Education And Debate

Smoking cessation: evidence based recommendations for the healthcare system

BMJ 1999; 318 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7177.182 (Published 16 January 1999) Cite this as: BMJ 1999;318:182

This article has a correction. Please see:

  1. Martin Raw, honorary senior lecturer in public healtha,
  2. Ann McNeill (ann.mcneill@hea.org.uk), strategic research adviser,b,
  3. Robert West, professor of psychology.c
  1. aKing's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, London SE5 9PJ
  2. bHealth Education Authority, Trevelyan House, London SW1P 2HW,
  3. cSt George's Hospital Medical School, University of London, London SW17 0RE
  1. Correspondence to: Dr McNeill
  • Accepted 26 November 1998

Editorial by Coleman et al

This article summarises the new Smoking Cessation Guidelines for Health Professionals, published in full in Thorax,1 along with guidance on the cost effectiveness of interventions for smoking cessation.2 The purpose of the guidelines is to recommend and promote the integration of effective and cost effective interventions into routine clinical care throughout the healthcare system, and they are aimed at health commissioners, managers, and clinicians. They are the first professionally endorsed, evidence and consensus based guidelines on smoking cessation for the English healthcare system.

At the time of going to press the full guidelines have been endorsed by more than 20organisations (see box).

Summary points

  • The purpose of the guidelines is to recommend the integration of effective and cost effective interventions for smoking cessation into routine clinical care throughout the healthcaresystem, and they are aimed at health commissioners, managers, and clinicians

  • The guidelines are the first professionally endorsed, evidence and consensus based guidelines on smoking cessation for the English healthcare system and have been written in parallel with guidance on the cost effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions, which establishes the economic case for smoking cessation delivered through the NHS

  • Although the guidelines were commissioned by the Health Education Authority, which has a remit for England, they may prove relevant and adaptable to other countries and healthcare systems

Professional endorsement

  • Royal College of Physicians (London), Royal College of General Practitioners, BMA, Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives, Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association, British Thoracic Society, British Lung Foundation, National Asthma Campaign, National Primary Care Facilitators Programme, National Heart Forum, British Dental Association, British Dental Hygienists' Association, National Pharmaceutical Association, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, Action on Smoking and Health, ASH Scotland, Quit, Association for Public Health, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Cancer Research Campaign

The need for clinical guidelines

Each …

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