Health Promotion

Despite extensive evidence accumulated over the past fifty years regarding the negative health consequences of smoking, about one-fifth of the adult population in Israel smoke (1). According to the recommendations of the Israeli Task Force on Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, it is advised to assess and document smoking status across the entire population and to provide counseling about the harms of both active and passive (secondhand) smoking. Documenting smoking status by the physician brings the issue into the conversation between the physician and the patient, allowing the physician to explain the negative effects of the addiction, and present the patient with various options for support in the smoking cessation process (2)