Helping people to give up smoking can be easy

Why is it so difficult to quit smoking? Often the main obstacle is the fear of failing. The situation is no different for health professionals, especially doctors. They too often stop because of their fear of failure, or get discouraged, thinking they might not have the skills to help people quit smoking. Yet encouraging and supporting patients to stop smoking is one of the primary tasks of every health care professional. Moreover, the treatment of smoking is not complicated, if you have some basic skills: pharmacologic treatment, patient-doctor communication and motivational interviewing. This book comes from daily practice. The author explains in a very direct way the art of “tobaccology”, with simulated examples and useful tricks. Current and relevant data on epidemiology, neurobiology of addiction, risks, comorbidity and treatment are then provided.

Fabio Lugoboni è responsabile del reparto di Medicina delle Dipendenze presso L'Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata di Verona.