Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. Tobacco cessation is one of the great public health successes of the past century, with 3 of every 5 people who have ever smoked now having quit. This current MMWR reports that each year over half of all smokers try to quit and over 7% are successful in that quit attempt. It is disappointing that less than a third of patients who attempted to quit smoking used either counseling or medication as part of their strategy to stop tobacco use, as pharmacologic interventions, including nicotine replacement, varenicline, and bupropion, can improve cessation rates by 50% to 150%.^1,2 This study reminds us of the importance of continuing to address tobacco use during office visits and of the value of offering both counseling and pharmacologic aids for smoking cessation as part of our advice to help patients stop smoking. —Neil Skolnik, MD

1. US Public Health Service. Treating tobacco use and dependence: 2008 update. Clinical practice guideline. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, US Public Health Service; 2008. http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/clinicians-providers/guidelines-recommendations/tobacco/index.html.
2. Siu AL; US Preventive Services Task Force. Behavioral and pharmacotherapy interventions for tobacco smoking cessation in adults, including pregnant women: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2015;163:622–34.