What can we do right now to support tobacco control?

The closing of the CDC Office on Smoking and Health is a great blow to public health in the United States. We should collect ideas on actions that each of us, as individuals and organizations, can take to make up for that loss.

I will try to maintain a running list of opportunities and invite others to take leadership roles. Links will be added as definitive sources of information are identified.

Current list

Updated 6/15

1.      Communicate empowering messages about tobacco cessation: There are more former smokers than current smokers. Although funding for TIPS has been removed, you can access and re-broadcast their messages. Real Stories | Real Stories | Tips From Former Smokers | CDC

2. Hire Tobacco Treatment Specialists to create a profit center. Large numbers of talented professionals have been let go from state Quitline. They can be hired by ACOs. medical groups and health insurance companies to increase revenue and generate savings on future medical expense. Tobacco Cessation as a Profit Center — Edward Anselm, MD

3. Strengthen tobacco use identification in clinical practice. Most health systems do not capture all tobacco users in their EMR systems. Adopt best practices as shown by Kaiser Permanente of Northern California here.

4.      Track performance of tobacco cessation interventions. How do you compare to the national averages? Measurement of your practice performance is an essential step in any quality improvement program.

4.      Report data on performance by practice location, group and health system and create collaborative networks

5.      Adopt NCQA HEDIS measure for tobacco cessation: specifications are here

6.      Resolve public disputation about the harms of vaping and other non-combustible sources of nicotine. For adults who have difficulty quitting, harm reduction is the answer. Why would we argue with millions of adults who switched from smoking to vaping.

7.      For all cigarette smokers, promote a trial of quitting with varenicline.

8. Focus on the highest risk populations: Seniors, American Indian and Alaska Natives, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, Black people, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander people, and women.

This is by no means a comprehensive listing of the options before us. Please persuade me on linked in or by email, eanselm@msn.com