Aware of and concerned about health problems caused by and related to smoking and tobacco use, health plans have long sought to educate their members and the general public about the dangers of smoking, and to help members who do smoke quit.  As the United States approached the 40th anniversary of the Surgeon General’s report that declared smoking and secondhand smoke bad for our health, there clearly had been significant progress made in reducing smoking in our society.  However, more than 23 percent of adult New Yorkers still smoke, so more needs to be done to bring those numbers down. 

To assist plan participating physicians, the HPA medical directors in the fall of 2003 endorsed a common smoking cessation guideline and physician’s guide aimed at helping patients become tobacco free.  The cessation guideline, an evidence-based tool based on the Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence Clinical Practice Guideline published in 2000 by the U.S. Public Health Service, and the provider guide, adapted with permission from a guide originally developed by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control, were distributed to all HPA member plans, with plans promoting the tools to participating physicians.  The materials were also mailed to nearly 20,000 physicians around New York.

Tobacco Cessation Guideline
Physician’s Guide to Helping Patients Become Tobacco Free