10618 Smoking Cessation

Course overview

Examination of smoking tobacco use trends and health-related issues of smoking tobacco products, the benefits of smoking cessation, medication treatment options, and behavioral and psychosocial interventions. In the U.S., tobacco use is the largest preventable cause of death and disease. More than 480,000 Americans die annually as a result of cigarette smoking, of which more than 41,000 die from exposure to secondhand smoke. Smoking accounts for approximately 30% of all cancer deaths in the U.S., and is a major risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. The economic impact related to smoking is significant, costing the U.S. more than $300 billion per year for illnesses related to smoking, of which $156 billion is attributed to lost productivity. Despite the negative health impact and economic burden related to cigarette smoking, an estimated 15% of adults in America continue to smoke, although approximately 68% of these smokers reported in 2015 that they wanted to quit smoking completely. If smoking continues at the current rate among U.S. youth, 5.6 million of today’s Americans younger than 18 years of age are expected to die prematurely from a smoking-related illness. While quitting smoking may be difficult, there are multiple health benefits associated with smoking cessation, and there are several treatment options available for individuals who desire to quit smoking. This program discusses smoking tobacco use trends and health-related issues of smoking tobacco products, the benefits of smoking cessation, medication treatment options, and behavioral/psychosocial interventions utilized in smoking cessation.