Which specialist performs a smoking cessation programme?

A smoking cessation programme is a structured plan to help you stop using cigarettes, shisha, vaping products, or other nicotine products. Family-medicine clinicians can review your health, nicotine use, previous quit attempts, and triggers. They may discuss counselling, nicotine replacement, or prescription treatment where suitable. A counsellor can help you prepare for cravings, change routines, and handle slips without abandoning the plan. The clinician may also consider asthma, pregnancy, mental health, heart conditions, and medicines before recommending an option.

Book an appointment with family medicine and describe what you use, how often you use it, and when cravings are strongest. Bring a list of medicines and mention any previous reactions to quit-smoking products. Agree on a quit date or an initial reduction plan, then identify practical changes such as removing tobacco from your home and planning alternatives for after meals. Follow-up matters because withdrawal, mood changes, and cravings can change over time. If you return to smoking, contact the programme rather than treating the lapse as failure.

Seek medical advice promptly for chest pain, severe breathlessness, coughing blood, fainting, or new confusion. During a quit attempt, contact your clinician urgently if you have thoughts of harming yourself, severe agitation, or a serious reaction after taking a medicine. Nicotine withdrawal can be uncomfortable, but severe or rapidly worsening symptoms need individual assessment.

Ask which quit method fits your health and nicotine pattern, what withdrawal symptoms to expect, and how counselling will be arranged. Clarify how to use nicotine products safely, what to do after a lapse, and when the next follow-up should occur.