Smoking Cessation

Although tobacco use in the United States has been reduced by more than half since 1965, it remains the principal cause of preventable death, with an estimated 480 000 premature deaths per year, and accounts for more than $289 billion in health care expenditures and productivity losses (1). The latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 17.8% of adults and 9.2% of high school students smoke cigarettes (2, 3). However, when all tobacco products are included, the prevalence is 21.3% and 24.6%, respectively (2, 4). In 2014, the most commonly used tobacco products by high school students were electronic cigarettes (13.4%), followed by hookah (9.4%), highlighting an increasingly challenging landscape for clinicians (2). In addition, many physicians report inadequate training in tobacco treatment and many smokers do not receive assistance to quit.