Patients Who Have Recently Quit and/or Relapsed
Patients who have recently quit tobacco use should be offered reinforcement in their decision to quit, a review of the benefits of quitting, and assistance in resolving problems arising from quitting. Because of the chronic relapsing nature of tobacco dependence, clinicians should provide brief relapse prevention treatment.
Although most relapse occurs early in the quitting process, some relapse occurs months or even years after the quit date. Prevention interventions can be delivered by clinic visits and telephone calls.