["Smoke smarts": how to help patients to stop smoking?] Revue médicale suisse [Rev Med Suisse] Journal article

Smoking cessation advice must be part of each medical consultation, because smoking is a disease. Smokers wish to stop, and clinically tested drugs for smoking cessation exist. The success depends on the motivation of the patient and the ability of the doctor to behave as a coach, to improve the desire to stop even in patients heavily addicted to nicotine. In this situation it is proposed to proceed by steps, diminishing gradually the number of smoked cigarettes with the help of nicotine containing preparations. The patient tries to avoid the cigarette by boosting his serum nicotine level with the inhaler or the nicotine gum as often as possible and seeks to understand the reasons why he is a smoker. The drugs bupropion and vareniclin may then help the patient to reinforce their motivation to stop smoking completely.

Revue médicale suisse [Rev Med Suisse]