HJAR Sep/Oct 2024

40 SEP / OCT 2024 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS ADH CORNER COLUMN ADH CORNER A SMOKER is six times more likely to attempt quitting if a health professional advises them to do so. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), even the briefest advice to quit from a health professional improves cessation rates and is highly cost-effective. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) can help health professionals with this conversation. The ADH has free resources available to health professionals and provides free cessation services to smokers. The ADH recommends that health professionals use a three-step process when talking to their patients about quitting smoking: “Ask-Advise-Refer.” • Ask about tobacco use: “Do you current- ly smoke or use other forms of tobacco?” • Advise the patient to quit: “Quitting to- bacco is one of the best things you can do for your health. I strongly encour- age you to quit. Are you interested in quitting?” • Refer the patient to BeWell Arkansas at BeWellArkansas.org. This three-step process is all that is needed, and it takes very little time. CDC reports that even a conversation lasting less than three minutes helps. If time permits, health pro- fessionals can help patients enroll by click- ing the “Start Today” button at the top right corner of BeWellArkansas.org. Enrollment is easy and quick. BeWell Arkansas, a program of theADH’s Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Branch, offers tips and services to help Arkansans aged 13 and older quit smoking. It has a 35% quit rate among all callers and a 50% quit rate for participants who complete all four EMPOWERING SMOKERS TO QUIT: A Guide for Health Professionals