The 5As in three minutes
In less than 3 minutes, you can make a difference in the health of your patients. Integrate the 5As into your daily practice to ensure that for every patient, at every visit, commercial tobacco (e.g., smoking) and e-cigarette use status is asked about and documented.ASK all patients about tobacco and e-cigarette use at every contact.• “Have you smoked, vaped or used another form of tobacco in the last 6 months?”• Ensure tobacco and e-cigarette use status is documented.ADVISE all tobacco and e-cigarette users to consider quitting.• Urge every tobacco and e-cigarette user to quit in a way that is personally relevant.ASSESS tobacco and e-cigarette users’ readiness to quit• Ask every tobacco and e-cigarette user if they are ready to make a quit attempt. • Assess how important it is for them, and how confident and ready they are to make a change.ASSIST according to patient readiness/stages of change.• Build motivation to change.• Help the patient to make a quit plan.ARRANGE for referral and follow-up.• Suggest Smokers’ Helpline’s Quit Connection• See the Help to Quit and SMDHU Programs and Services sections below for more information about cessation supports available in Simcoe County and the District of Muskoka, as well as those provided by the health unit. Examples of patient assessment and pharmacotherapy toolsThe Nicotine Dependence Clinic at The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) offers a hub for healthcare providers looking for more information and tools to support patients who are looking to quit smoking or vaping.We also recommended CAMH’s smoking cessation toolkit, which provides practical information on screening, assessing and managing patients who are trying to quit smoking. It includes links to other professional resources, including best practice guides and patient information materials, such as self-help resources.
Help to quit The health unit’s Smoke-Free Program website offers information to support community members in their quit attempts. Patients can also be directed to information, counselling and no cost nicotine replacement therapies available in their communities:• Barrie• Collingwood• Muskoka• North Simcoe• Orillia• South Simcoe
The Ministry of Health’s support to quit smoking page provides information on medical treatment, tips to support quitting, as well as counselling and support groups. Youth and young adult vaping
NotAnExperiment.ca provides up-to-date information about vaping for youth and features interactive elements to engage youth in the website’s content. The website also has a Parents page and tip sheet that provide information about vaping and guides parents and other caring adults in having conversations about vaping with the young people in their lives.Youth and young adult vaping cessation tools • Quash is a judgement-free app to help youth and young adults quit smoking or vaping the way they want. • Stop Vaping Challenge is an app that provides a venue for youth to reflect on their vaping behaviours and patterns in a fun, social way that encourages quitting with friends.• Not an Experiment Quit Plan is an online and printable resource supporting youth to reflect on their vaping behaviour and help them plan their quit.
