Abstract

Author(s):

Cathy Segan

Affiliations:

Quit Victoria

Mental health practitioners are well placed to deliver brief advice for smoking cessation that can link consumers to effective smoking cessation treatments. The most effective treatments combine a multi-session behavioural intervention (eg groups courses, quitline) with pharmacotherapy (eg Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), varenicline, bupropion). Routinely offering brief smoking cessation help to consumers, regardless of their level of interest in stopping smoking, empowers consumers by letting them know what works, and offering to link or enrol them into treatment increases uptake. Enabling factors that can improve the routine delivery of brief advice and ideas for improving the quality of current treatments are discussed.