Our brief intervention training for health professionals is a cost effective way to address smoking cessation intervention in the clinical and community setting.

In Queensland, brief smoking cessation intervention by health professionals can be one of the most cost effective strategies to assist smokers. Brief intervention typically takes 3-5 minutes and it is an opportunistic intervention that is carried out whilst the health professional is assessing or treating a smoker. As it is carried out as part of routine care, cost outlay for organisations is minimal.

A single brief intervention may not have the strength to get a smoker to quit smoking. However, the cumulative effect of opportunistic interventions performed by many health professionals can be very powerful.

The aim of the brief smoking cessation intervention is:

• To assist and support smokers who are thinking about quitting, ready to quit or struggling to stay quit.
• To provide education and motivation to smokers who are not currently thinking about quitting

Cancer Council Queensland's Brief Intervention Training for health professionals aims to equip staff with the skills to carry out brief intervention for smokers at any level of readiness. Health professionals will also learn how they can refer smokers on to support services that can assist with the quitting process.

Training sessions range from 60 to 90 minutes in length and cost $300 per session.

For more information, contact Rachel Hull at (07) 5503 3705 or email rachelhull@cancerqld.org.au.

More information

For more information contact the Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20.