A Very Brief Emergency Department Smoking Cessation Intervention

There is sparse evidence to support any method for smoking cessation interventions in the emergency department (ED). Researchers in Hong Kong randomized adult ED patients who had low acuity triage scores and were current smokers to a 1-minute smoking cessation intervention or a cessation leaflet. The intervention was performed in the waiting area by a retired nurse and consisted of Asking the patient about smoking, Warning that one in two smokers will die from smoking, Advising quitting, Referring to a smoking cessation hotline, and Doing it again (AWARD). Intervention patients were then invited to choose their quit schedules (immediate or progressive). Abstinence at follow up was assessed by both self-report and biochemical validation.

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