Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. Each year in Florida, tobacco use is responsible for approximately 29,000 deaths and billions of dollars in healthcare costs.
Health professionals have an important opportunity to reduce tobacco use by providing tobacco prevention and tobacco cessation interventions for patients. Even a few brief interventions can be effective and have a significant effect on cessation rates.
The Lake County Tobacco Prevention Program is reaching out to local Health Care Providers to support tobacco cessation referral process. The 2A's and 1R system of cessation referral is a brief and effective intervention that can be a part of a patient's office visit for tobacco users and those who want to quit.
The 2A's and 1R system:
- Ask the patient about tobacco use
- Advise patient to quit
- Refer patient to the Florida Tobacco Quit-For-Life Line (877) 822-6669
The Florida Tobacco Quit-For-Life Line is a free cessation service offering individualized counseling and support to any Florida resident who is ready to quit tobacco. The Quit-For-Life Line can provide the counseling component of tobacco dependence treatment without added time or costs to health care providers or insurers.
The best and easiest way to integrate the Quitline into the regular delivery of health care is by using the Fax Referral Form. Once a tobacco user is identified and agrees to attempt to quit, the patient is asked to agree to have his or her name and telephone number faxed to the Quitline from your office by signing a consent form. The Quitline then makes the initial call to the patient to begin the free counseling program and receive free nicotine replacement products i.e. patch, gum or lozenges while supplies last. Tobacco users who speak little or no English can request an interpreter on the enrollment form.
The Fax Referral Form provides an intensive counseling intervention that may not be feasible for a busy clinic. We know that ongoing counseling increases the likelihood of successfully quitting tobacco. The Fax Referral Form can be used by hospitals, clinics, dental offices, worksites and community-based agencies. The Quitline will provide your office with documented follow up on patient's progress via fax to include in your records.
To get started, download the Fax Referral Form, or proceed to the Florida Quitline Website
Additional Resources for Health Care Providers
- Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update
- Tobacco Treatment Chart
- Twelve Facts to Help Dispel the Myths about Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs) and Nicotine (PDF) Download
- Cessation Counseling Services, Reimbursement and Resources Brochure
- Tobacco Cessation Insurance Coverage
- FREE Online Tobacco CE/CME Training Courses
