Twenty percent of mortality rates in the US have been attributed to nicotine dependence. Thirty to fifty percent of nicotine dependent patients will reach a stage of problematic use in a short-term follow-up. Over the last 20 years, educational programs and persuasive techniques aimed to the general population were not able to have a significant impact on political, cultural and social beliefs to change smoking behavior. Treatment programs to stop smoking are not yet integrated in health services routines worldwide. The lack of integration among different levels of prevention programs; general practitioners' perception that treatment outcome is not effectual, and time unavailability to further assess the problem are considered the main barriers to achieve successful treatment results. Thus, the objectives of creating a consensus about nicotine dependence were the following: • gather major epidemiological data about tobacco use worldwide and in Brazil; • review general and central actions of nicotine in the body; • create a protocol for screening primary health service; • set guidelines for assessment, diagnosis and treatment to be applied in the different levels of public health services; • give recommendations about approaches for specific groups: adolescents, pregnant women; elderly people; obese, hospitalized patients, and psychiatric patients, and for patients with heart and respiratory conditions.
Nicotine dependence; Treatment
