Figure 1. The "5 A's": Treating Tobacco Dependence as a Chronic Disease (Text Description)

Figure 1 is a flowchart describing the "5 A's" process of treating tobacco dependence. The chart starts at the top of the page and ends at the bottom with text boxes and arrows pointing down.

First Level: "ASK—Do you currently use tobacco?" There are arrows pointing down on either side of the box—one pointing to a box with Yes, and the other pointing to a box with No.

Second Level: If Yes, there is an arrow pointing to a text box labeled "ADVISE to quit." If No, there is an arrow pointing to a text box labeled "ASK Have you ever used tobacco?" The ASK text box then has two arrows pointing to Yes or No. The Yes button continues on to a text box at the third level.

Third Level: Under the " ADVISE to quit" text box is a box with "ASSESS Are you willing to quit now?" There are two arrows from that box, one for Yes and one for No. From the ASK box side from Yes there is a text box with "ASSESS Have you recently quit? Any challenges? This box also has arrows pointing to a Yes and a No box.

Fourth Level: Under "ASSESS Are you willing to quit now?" If Yes, an arrows point to a box labeled "ASSIST Provide appropriate tobacco dependence treatments. If No, an arrow points to a box labeled "ASSIST Intervene to increase motivation to quit. On the side with "ASSESS Have you recently quit? Any challenges?" the Yes box points to "ASSIST Provide relapse prevention", and the No arrow points to a box labeled "ASSIST Encourage continued abstinence".

Fifth (and bottom) LEVEL: Underneath the last four boxes is a text box labeled "ARRANGE FOLLOWUP".

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