Nicotine addiction and smoking cessation.

Cigarette smoking remains the greatest threat to public health in our society and is responsible for one of every five deaths in the United States. While the prevalence of smoking has declined dramatically over the past 30 years, over 26% of Americans continue to smoke. In Louisiana, one third of adult men and one quarter of adult women smoke. The irony of this problem is that smoking is a modifiable behavior. To better counsel their patients regarding smoking cessation, health care practitioners should be aware of the health risks of smoking, the benefits of smoking cessation, and therapies available to assist their patients in breaking the habit. This article reviews the current literature and addresses these issues.