Abstract:
There are more than one billion smokers worldwide, approximately one-third of the population over 15 years of age. As a result of tobacco-related diseases, some 3 million people die every year, 2 million of whom in the developed countries, a situation that is expected to change in the coming decades, when more deaths will occur in the developing countries. Health professionals in general and primary-care staff in particular have an important role in counseling smokers to quit smoking, both during office consultations as well as by supporting-smoking cessation campaigns. However, even though physicians may recognize the morbidity and mortality associated with smoking, they generally provide little smoking cessation orientation to their patients, possibility because they do not trust in their own skill and knowledge on the appropriate techniques. This review is intended to evaluate the space devoted to teaching and learning in medical school curricula concerning tobacco-related diseases and methods to quit smoking. Based on the relevant literature, the article discusses the incipient inclusion in medical training of specific items on smoking as a disease and ways and techniques for treating nicotine dependence.
Key-words:
Smoking; Education, Medical; Smoking Cessation Activities; Medical Counseling