Motivating Smokers to Change
Stopping smoking involves a process of change that takes place in stages over time. It often takes many attempts to quit before a tobacco user achieves long-term success. This "stages of change" model defines five stages in the process of quitting. Your patients will benefit from different intervention approaches at every stage.
| IF YOUR PATIENT IS... | THEN YOUR GOAL MIGHT BE TO... | |
| Not thinking about stopping - is neither considering stopping nor actively paying attention to tobacco and health information. Does not see him/herself as vulnerable to health risks. |  |
Raise doubt - and provide strong recommendation to quit.
Describe treatment supports available. Repeat at each visit.
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| Thinking about stopping - is actively paying attention to information about the effects of tobacco use and ways to stop. |  |
Identify pros and cons - of continuing to use tobacco in order to tip the balance toward making a quit attempt.
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| Trying to stop - has developed strategies to help him/herself stop. | |
Support setting a quit date soon.
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| No longer using tobacco - has been without tobacco for up to six months. This is a crucial period in terms of relapse. Maintaining abstinence - has been without tobacco for over six months and is establishing long-term abstinence. | |
Prevent relapse - by reviewing benefits of staying quit and of successes experienced.
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| Back to regular smoking - has recycled to any of the first three stages. | |
Encourage another quit attempt.
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