Effectiveness of 5-As for smoking cessation
- Nov 24, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 25, 2020
As per a report published on US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, in the list of leading causes of preventable morbidity and even mortality, smoking is on the top.
Despite that fact, it is a major contributor, 45 million (approx) adults in the US continue to smoke and 1200 die prematurely every day from nicotine related disease. The direct medical cost in annual smoking-attributable expenditures is approximately $96 billion and it is $97 billion in lost productivity. It is also a concerning sign that among U.S. adults, the 7-year decline in smoking prevalence has also ended.
So it is evident that there is a dire need for an effective clinical guideline just like 5-As. What are 5-As?
Ø Ask
Ø Advice
Ø Assess
Ø Assist
Ø Arrange
Demonstration of the 5As
There is an easy way to understand 5-As from the story of Kelly, who visited her doctor and he applied the same to her.
The doctor prescribed her some antibiotics for a lung infection. Now he said that he is hoping that they can talk about smoking today. That's something she’d be comfortable talking about. Kelly accepted the offer.
Ask:-
The doctor asked about smoking per day. Kelly replied with 15 to 20 cigarettes and added that she has been smoking for 20 years. According to the doctor, it’s a long time and she must understand that right now quitting smoking will be the most effective thing that she could do to improve her health especially in the context of her lung infections.
Kelly replied that she had tired in the past and she got so cranky, angry and frustrated. It was very hard for her. The doctor said though she found it tough in past but what if she is going to quit smoking in the next 30 days? Kelly was surprised and said that she hadn’t thought about it but she supposes she could give it a try.
Advice:-
The doctor explained that withdrawal symptoms are reasonably common. However, there are ways in which he can help her to manage those withdrawal symptoms. He explained that there are several options including medications and it will minimize or eliminate the withdrawal symptoms.
Assist:-
He further added that there are nicotine replacement therapies, two prescription medications and counseling options. These are effective and mitigate those withdrawal symptoms. There is also a one-to-one support option within the clinic or to join a smoking cessation group.
Assess:-
Kelly said that she didn't know about these offers so she would want some more support that would be helpful. The doctor was pleased with her positive response.
Arrange:-
Finally, he asked about a quit date. Kelly replied that she is hoping to feel better soon and be back at work next week so she thinks that would be a good time for her to start.
The doctor concluded by saying that he is expecting that she will make a quit attempt next week and wished her the best of luck. Kelly thanked and went away.
If you also want to quit smoking like Kelly, you can visit here:-
You can also know addiction rehabilitation secrets from here:
You can also read the following books to learn the skill of getting rid of addiction:-
In the end, let’s see this amazing video to save us from Alcohol use disorder.
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