Cmaj Podcasts

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Canada. A new clinical practice guideline published in CMAJ on tobacco smoking cessation outlines evidence-based behavioural and pharmacological interventions to help patients quit. On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast, Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham speak with Dr. Eddy Lang, co-author of the guideline, and Dr. Andrew Pipe, a pioneer in smoking cessation research and practice, about how clinicians can better support patients ready to stop smoking.Dr. Eddy Lang, an emergency physician and professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, describes how the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health  assessed a wide range of interventions to make sense of a complex evidence base. He outlines the strong recommendations in favour of pharmacological therapies such as nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion, varenicline, and cytosine, as well as behavioural interventions including counselling, group therapy, and quit lines. He also explains the con