Building Capacity in Smoking Cessation Counseling Among Health Care Professionals in China

The tobacco epidemic is growing rapidly in China while the development of smoking cessation intervention is still slow, even after its ratification of the Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2005. Health care professionals including doctors and nurses are vital in offering smoking cessation interventions and becoming involved in tobacco control, yet many of them lack training and commitment in smoking cessation counseling. This study reports the effectiveness of a specially designed two-day intensive smoking cessation training program for 21 doctors and nurses in the Guangzhou Chest Hospital. Findings showed significant increases in scores of smoking-related knowledge, attitude toward banning of tobacco promotion and, more importantly, practices of smoking cessation activities about 2 months after training. Not only have we have trained and created a critical mass of smoking cessation counselors, their practices have also benefited the smokers in the community. More education and training programs are needed to create an even larger critical mass of health care professionals to fight the tobacco epidemic in China.