PAHO publishes new booklet to strengthen tobacco and nicotine cessation in primary health care

Washington, D.C., 30 January 2026 - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has published Tobacco and nicotine cessation: Booklet for healthcare professionals, an evidence-based practical guide designed to support health professionals in delivering effective tobacco cessation interventions in primary health care settings.

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of premature death and disability worldwide, causing more than 7 million deaths each year, including 1.6 million due to secondhand smoke exposure. Despite the fact that more than 60% of adult tobacco users want to quit, nearly 70% lack access to comprehensive cessation services. Primary care is uniquely positioned to close this gap.

The booklet, aligned with WHO Clinical treatment guidelines for tobacco cessation in adults, provides practical, time-efficient tools that can be integrated into routine clinical care, even during short consultations. It emphasizes that brief interventions of 30 seconds to three minutes-such as asking about tobacco use, advising patients to quit, and offering assistance-significantly increase quit attempts and long-term abstinence. The guide promotes the systematic identification of tobacco and nicotine use as a "vital sign" and presents the 5As and 5Rs models to support patients at different stages of readiness to quit.

The booklet covers all forms of tobacco and nicotine products and includes guidance on counseling strategies, motivational interviewing, first-line pharmacotherapy options, follow-up and relapse prevention, and tailored approaches for special populations, including pregnant women, adolescents, people with mental health conditions, and those with chronic diseases. All recommended interventions can be delivered within existing primary care workflows without adding unnecessary burden.

Developed for physicians, nurses, and other primary care professionals, contributes to PAHO's Better Care for Noncommunicable Diseases (Better NCDs) Initiative by strengthening the role of primary health care in the prevention and management of tobacco-related noncommunicable diseases.

The booklet supports the integration of tobacco cessation into routine care for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, and mental health conditions. In doing so, it reinforces primary health care as the foundation for comprehensive, people-centered NCD care and prevention, and contributes to PAHO´s Better Care for NCDs Initiative.

Tobacco dependence is described as a chronic, relapsing condition that requires ongoing, patient-centered care. By incorporating cessation support into routine primary care visits, health professionals can reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality, improve outcomes for noncommunicable diseases, and advance health equity.

The Tobacco and Nicotine Cessation booklet is available online and is intended to serve as a practical resource to help make tobacco cessation a routine, effective, and lifesaving component of primary health care.