Support to stop smoking or using tobacco
About 1 in 7 adults smoke in the UK. Smoking is still the leading cause of illness and death. It increases the risk of many serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and lung disease. About 78,000 people in England die each year from smoking.
This guideline brings together all of NICE’s guidelines on smoking and using tobacco along with new advice to help professionals give people the best support to stop smoking. We want the guideline to make a difference by making sure:
- more people understand the harms of smoking and the options available to help them stop
- people get accurate advice about e‑cigarettes and their possible use to help them stop smoking
- pregnant women are offered the best support to stop smoking, during and after their pregnancy
- fewer children and young people take up smoking
- employers know how to help staff who smoke to stop
- people who use smokeless tobacco get the right advice and support to stop.
Making decisions
To help you make decisions, your stop-smoking adviser or healthcare professional should give you clear information, talk with you about your options and listen carefully to your views and concerns.
It might help to think about and discuss the following:
- Why are you thinking of stopping smoking?
- Have you tried to stop before? Are there other ways you would like to try?
- How will stopping smoking, or using stop-smoking aids, affect your day-to-day life?
- What happens if you do not want to stop smoking?
If you need more support to understand the information you are given, tell your stop-smoking adviser or healthcare professional.
Read more about making decisions about your care.
Where can I find out more?
For free professional support, contact your local Stop Smoking Service.
The NHS website has more information about smoking, including quit smoking and stop smoking treatments, and using e-cigarettes to stop smoking.
The organisations below can also provide information or support.
- Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), 020 7404 0242
- QUIT, 0800 00 22 00
To share an experience of care you have received, contact your local Healthwatch.
NICE is not responsible for the content of these websites.
We wrote this guideline with a range of experts and people who have lived experience of stop-smoking support. All the decisions are based on the best research available.
ISBN: 978-1-4731-4348-7
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