On July 5, 2010, Wisconsin’s workplaces go smoke-free. History shows that when a state enacts a smoke-free law, more residents want to quit smoking.
There’s never been a better time to talk to your patients about quitting. According to the U.S. Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline, a clinician can more than double the chances a patient will quit smoking by simply offering brief advice and one of the seven FDA-approved medications.
What works best?
Research by the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI) shows that combining medications—such as the nicotine patch with the nicotine lozenge or bupropion SR—works better than any of those medications alone.
In clinical trials,
varenicline has boosted quit rates to 30 percent or better when combined with coaching. Meanwhile, typical quit rates for smokers who don’t get any treatment are less than 5 percent.
Free Resources to Help
Short on time? Refer smokers to the free Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line at
1-800-QUIT-NOW.
“Time is always short,” said Dr. Pierce Sherrill, Aurora HealthCare. “I tell my patients, ‘Call the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line, they’re sharp, they can help you.’”
The Quit Line offers free:
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