Featuring Dr. Milan Khara, MBChB, CCFP, ABAM
, Informing Your Doctor You Smoke
Duration: 1 minute, 22 seconds

It's really very important to make your family doctor or healthcare professional aware of your smoking status, because we know that tobacco use affects almost every organ system in the body.

Beginning a dialogue with a healthcare professional can be valuable, whether there is readiness to make a change or not, becoming aware of the tools and resources can be empowering and actually encouraging.

Theres no doubt that smoking cessation for some will be relatively straightforward and for others will be more of a struggle. The best place to start with smoking cessation is a plan, a plan that has strategies and maybe a medication as part of that plan.

We also know though that quitting smoking is a very individual experience. It's good to think of it as a process rather than an event and it's not unusual to have some struggles along the way. Relapse is not unusual and what we really want to see happen is sticking with the process and continuing to try.

If you are ready to make a quit attempt your healthcare professional is very well placed to provide you with support, strategic advice, maybe medication, and also if in fact there are available resources in your community, to actually direct you appropriately.

Presenter: Dr. Milan Khara, Family Doctor, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Family Doctor