Are emergency departments useful for quitting smoking? A narrative review

Smoking is among the most commonly cited preventable causes of cardiopulmonary death. Interventions aimed at helping patients quit smoking in healthcare institutions yielded limited success. Various factors, including legal regulations, economic constraints, lack of time, motivation, and incentives can hamper these efforts. Emergency departments (EDs) are the most critical referral settings for individuals with acute health problems resulting from the direct and indirect effects of smoking. Smoking cessation (SC) interventions conducted in acute disease settings may be effective for individuals with low dependency and a strong intention to quit. A structured SC intervention delivered when individuals seek care for an acute and serious health issue may have a greater impact than other approaches. Therefore, structured SC interventions may effectively increase SC rates in adult patients with acute respiratory infections in the EDs. ED visits due to a health crisis, such as acute respiratory problems, may represent a good opportunity to tackle in most patients as an excuse to launch a fresh beginning, including SC. However, more comprehensive research and support programs are needed for individuals with high addiction levels.