Assessing Access to Smoking Cessation Resources in Rural Populations

Smoking is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Upstate New York has a high adult smoking rate of 20.9%, compared to a New York state rate of 16.2% and a national rate of 18.1%. The Affordable Care Act has increased resources available that can help smokers quit, including tobacco use screenings, cessation interventions and stop smoking counseling; however, several patients that smoke are unaware of the resources available to them when they are ready to stop smoking. Multiple Cochrane Reviews on the effectiveness of smoking cessation programs demonstrate that some cessation interventions are more effective than others; however, some cessation resources remain unavailable to upstate New Yorkers.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1146/thumbnail.jp