Tobacco Cessation: Someone Else is Doing it, Right?

Course overview

Smoking and smoking-related illness remains a costly burden to society and the health care system in the United States. Rates of tobacco use dropped considerably between 1965 to 2000; the decline has slowed since. Despite the majority of smokers' willingness to make a quit attempt during an office visit, most clinicians do little more than ask about tobacco use. The breadth of our scope of practice and frequency of patient contact provides a great opportunity for physical therapists to engage in addressing this public health problem. This course aims to provide the therapist with an understanding of the effects of tobacco use on body systems, its impact on health care outcomes, the benefits of cessation, and a framework to address cessation in clinical practice. By engaging in tobacco cessation, therapists can positively influence the chances of success while enhancing patient/client relationships.