Tobacco smoking is considered the big killer and one of the most avoidable risk factors for many human pathologies. Reducing and controlling tobacco smoking should be a primary aim for a certain population, in order to reduce harms to health caused by this important risk factor, and it seems urgent to adopt intervention tools involved in responsibility fields such as health care, education, politics, economy and media. Among health professionals the prevalence of tobacco smoke is extremely high, more than other professional categories, and this could be partly attributed to a low weight that tobacco smoking has in the medical curriculum of future physicians, that will contribute in a determinant way to healthy choices of their patients. In order to realise that, the medical students need to be adequately trained with the aim of acquire competences and skills that help patients to prevent tobacco smoking and to increase smoking cessation, through a programme oriented to specific issue related to the potential harm of tobacco products. A survey conducted by Ferry et al. in the American Schools of Medicine underlined the lack of courses related to tobacco smoking. Moreover, a randomised trial carried out by Cummings et al., the Schools of Medicine result as the ideal setting to teach smoking cessation techniques to health professionals. The National Cancer Institute in 1992 recommended that primary and secondary prevention interventions on tobacco smoking will become mandatory in the curriculum of Medical USA students. However, until now this recommendation still is far from being fully implemented. The aim of the book is to give an overview on the epidemiology of tobacco smoking among different settings and populations, but with a special focus on health professionals and medicals students, and to show available examples of smoking prevention and cessation training in different settings.
The cravings, the compulsive behaviors, the potential fatal health consequences--once considered relatively harmless, tobacco use is now understood to have addictive properties similar to those of hard drugs. Dependence on tobacco and nicotine from smoking, chewing, or other means affects millions around the world, and for countless people it remains resistant to efforts to quit despite the level of intervention or number of attempts.
Smoking Prevention and Cessation addresses this longstanding problem on various biological, societal, and psychological fronts. This extensively researched volume traces the mechanics of smoking initiation, nicotine dependence and withdrawal, and motivation to quit. Chapters analyze smoking as a global public health issue, review the epidemiology of smoking-related disease, and evaluate prevention and cessation interventions (pharmacology included) as applied to different settings and populations. The detailed, data-rich presentation gives readers a rounded, realistic understanding of smoking on a worldwide level as the book:
- Introduces measurement tools for gauging nicotine dependence.
- Examines the media in tobacco advertising and smoking prevention messages.
- Analyzes "what works" in prevention approaches.
- Compares the efficacy of cessation interventions.
- Pinpoints issues specific to smoking among health professionals and youth.
- Reviews economic, bioethics, and policy issues related to smoking.
Researchers and graduate students in public health, health promotion, behavioral medicine, and smoking cessation will find Smoking Prevention and Cessation a unique reference packed with evidence-based insights and practical, workable ideas.
