Health Care Associations Release Joint Statement on Smoking Cessation Ottawa, January 17, 2001 -

Nine health care professional associations have joined together to highlight the key role that they can play in assisting smokers to quit smoking and stay smoke-free. A joint statement released today on the Role of Health Professionals in Smoking Cessation focuses on the importance of health professionals in helping Canadians stop smoking. It provides health care professionals and associations with a series of principles and valuable tips on how they can best assist their patients/clients stop smoking.

Health professionals are in a unique position to assist smokers. They are the most credible source of information on smoking cessation. Even a brief discussion with a health professional can significantly increase the quit rate. A smoker's likelihood of quitting increases when he or she hears the message from a number of health care providers from a variety of disciplines. Canada's health care professionals firmly believe that a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach is key to the success of any tobacco cessation strategy. Clinical tobacco intervention by health professionals should be part of a national tobacco control strategy that includes prevention and protection measures such as legislation, tax increases and restrictions on tobacco advertising.

Smokers who decide to stop smoking on Weedless Wednesday are encouraged to call upon their health care professional for support and to find out more about how to stop smoking and remain smoke-free.

The Joint Statement on the Role of Health Professionals in Smoking Cessation is an initiative of the Canadian Medical Association and was developed in partnership with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, Canadian Association of Social Workers, Canadian Dental Association, Canadian Nurses Association, Canadian Pharmacists Association, Canadian Physiotherapy Association, Canadian Psychological Association and Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists. It serves as a model for all health care professionals. (The Joint Statement can be found on the Associations' websites as listed below).

For more information, please contact:

• Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
  (604) 536-4575; www.caot.ca
• Canadian Association of Social Workers
  (613) 729-6668 ext. 222; www.casw-acts.ca
• Canadian Dental Association
  1 (800) 267-6354 ext. 2213; www.cda-adc.ca
• Canadian Medical Association
  1 (800) 663-7336 or (613) 731-8610, ext. 1266
  www.cma.ca
• Canadian Nurses Association 1 (800) 361-8404 or (613) 237-2159, ext. 310 www.cna-nurses.ca
• Canadian Pharmacists Association
  1 (800) 917-9489 ext. 267; www.cdnpharm.ca
• Canadian Physiotherapy Association
  1(800) 387-8679; www.physiotherapy.ca
• Canadian Psychological Association
  1 (888) 472-0657; www.cpa.ca
• Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists
  1 (800) 267-3422; www.csrt.com