US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation
Clinicians should screen all adults to determine if they smoke or use other tobacco products, provide brief counseling, and offer patients nicotine replacement therapies and referrals to help them quit.

USPSTF Rating: "A" Recommendation

FACTS:

• 20% of adults smoke¹ and 1/3 of smokers will die prematurely as a result.²
• Smoking results in more than $100 billion annually in medical costs.³
• Smoking cessation counseling is cost saving.

Click here for data on burden of disease, service effectiveness, utilization rates, and cost.

Read our article about this service: Solberg LI, Maciosek MV, Edwards NM, Khanchandani HS, Goodman MJ. Repeated tobacco use screening and intervention in clinical practice: health impact and cost effectiveness. Am J Prev Med 2006

Click here for this service's Technical Report (pdf) which includes details on the literature used and approach taken to estimate this service's health impact and cost effectiveness.

Sources

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. 2004. [Web Page]; http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/. [Accessed 24 Mar 2006].
2. Projected smoking-related deaths among youth--United States. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1996 Nov 8;45(44):971-4.
3. Solberg, L. I.; Maciosek, M. V.; Edwards, N. M. Tobacco Cessation Screening and Brief Counseling. Technical Report Prepared for the National Commission on Prevention Priorities.2006.