The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and groups representing nearly 600,000 physicians recently gathered at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to unveil their Talk with Your Doctor initiative, designed to motivate people to stop smoking and to encourage smokers to talk with their doctors about quitting smoking. 

 

Patrice Harris, M.D., director of health services for Fulton County and a board member of the American Medical Association, was there to help promote the initiative.

 

"Quitting is the best thing a smoker can do to improve their health and the health of their loved ones who may be exposed to their secondhand smoke," said Harris. "The message physicians are sending is clear -- don't wait. Talk with your doctor today about kicking the habit for good."

 

Talk with Your Doctor is part of the CDC's national tobacco education campaign, Tips from Former Smokers, which not only tells the story of how real people's lives were changed forever due to smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, but also motivates people to quit.

 

Nationally, about one in five U.S. adults (43.8 million) are cigarette smokers and 40 percent of children (15 million) are exposed to secondhand smoke. More than 70 percent of smokers want to quit and about 50 percent try to quit each year. Physicians play a critical role in helping motivate patients to quit; in fact, studies show that advice from a doctor more than doubles the chances that a patient will quit.

 

The Tips from Former Smokers campaign features people living with serious diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, heart disease, asthma and diabetes that were caused by smoking or secondhand smoke exposure. 

 

"Tobacco cessation efforts are critical to Fulton County's overall plan for improving the health of its citizens, particularly as it relates to asthma, diabetes, heart disease and stroke," said Harris.

 

To help extend the impact of the initiative, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians and the American Medical Association are working with their nearly 600,000 physicians and other health care professionals to encourage them to talk with their patients about tobacco use and about protecting others from secondhand smoke. Health care providers will learn how to better help patients in these conversations and will receive information about the campaign in journals, newsletters, electronic resources and digital communications.

 

In addition to talking with their doctors, smokers who want help quitting can call the toll-free 1-800-QUIT-NOW quitline (1-800-784-8669) or visit www.cdc.gov/tips. 

 

 -Story by Ericka Davis, Director of Communications, Fulton County Government