Smoking cessation guidelines
Smoking cessation guidelines for Australian general practice
Tobacco is a known, or probable cause, of at least twenty five diseases, including lung and other cancers, heart disease, stroke, emphysema and other chronic lung diseases.
Smoking is the risk factor responsible for the greatest burden of disease (loss of health and premature mortality) in Australia. Smoking:
- Represents 12% of the burden in males and 7% in females;
- Is responsible for the death of an estimated 19,000 Australians each year;
- Reduces the life of a smoker by an average of 16 years.
Smoking kills more people in Australia than the total number killed by drink, drugs, murder, suicide, road crashes, rail crashers, air crashes, poisoning, drowning, fires, falls, lightning, electrocution, snakes, spiders and sharks.
In 2004, the RACGP produced Smoking Cessation Guidelines for General Practitioners. This guideline is available for download below.
In 2007 (reviewed in 2009), the RACGP produced a pharmacotherapy update for health professionals that should be read in conjunction with the 2004 guidelines. The update and summary deskcard is also available for download below.
Related files
Smoking cessation pharmacotherapy update (406KB)
Smoking cessation summary deskcard (113KB)
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Related links
Smoking cessation in Australian general practice online version
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