On April 19, 2015, International researchers and practisioners met in Malmö for a strategic seminar on effective smoking cessation intervention in Sweden. As a result of the seminar a set of recommendations were outlined. 

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A. Smoking Cessation Intervention (SCI) in Health Services

Patient safety: Offering SCI should be integrated into daily routines. Smoking is most prevalent among the socially vulnerable and disadvantaged. Thus, the recommended systematic approach would reach out to those with greatest needs for effective SCI:

 

1. All smokers who interact with the health services must be identified

2. They should be informed about effects of quitting smoking and implications for their treatment

3. SCI should be presented as part of any treatmen

 

Compliance with A1-3 is considered best practice

 

 

B. Quality Assessment

The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of SCI should be systematically evaluated in a “real life” Swedish quality registry in line with Denmark and England for the following reasons:

1. To promote health and prevent disease and progression of disease

2. To ensure high quit rates and value for money

3. To learn, compare and transfer knowledge of best practice

4. To ensure accountability and promote transparency 

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C. Education

A health promoting attitude must be included at pre- and postgraduate level for health professionals:

1. The theoretical and practical aspects of smoking cessation should be a mandatory part of clinical training

2. Prevention and health promotion aspects of tobacco control should be integrated into all medical curricula and be an examinable topic.

3. Students who smoke should be supported by institutional policy and offered SCI

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D. Community Actions

The WHO Tobacco Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) lists all the actions to be taken to reduce smoking, but few of those have been fully implemented in Sweden. In contrast, several nations have decided on a Tobacco Endgame strategy.

1. The health care service has not been able to create a real smoke-free environment, and legislation on this is overdue

2. The Government and Parliament should within the next few years legislate for “Smoke-free Sweden 2025” - defined by a smoking rate < 5% by year 2025

3. Healthcare professionals should support the community actions through their knowledge and clinical experience of the harmful effects of smoking.

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The Seminar was organised by collaboration between:

• Network of Swedish Tobacco Researchers

• The Swedish Society of Medicine

• Tobacco facts – Independent Think Tank (Sweden)

• Doctors against Tobacco (Sweden)

• Clinical Health Promotion Centre, Health Sciences, Lund University

• International Network of Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services (HPH)

• WHO-Collaborating Centre for Evidence-based Health Promotion in Hospitals & Health Services