Special Populations

There are some groups of people who use tobacco and need special attention from nurses. This is either because of a higher smoking prevalence (e.g., young adults) or because the immediate health implications are even more urgent (e.g., pregnancy, individuals with diabetes). To reach these individuals effectively, counselling strategies and communication about tobacco use need to be tailored to their needs.

It should be noted that the recommended pharmacological treatment strategy for most special populations is that the standard interventions are effective and should be applied to all individuals who use tobacco except when medication use is contraindicated, or with special populations in which medication has not been shown to be effective (i.e., pregnant women, smokeless tobacco users, light smokers, and adolescents

(source: Fiore, M.C., Jaen, C.R., Baker, T. B., et al. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. (2008) Clinical Practice Guideline. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service. May. )

Special Population Groups:

Long-Term Care:

• Long-Term Care Best Practices Toolkit. This Toolkit is intended to be used by regulated and unregulated LTC home staff to support their efforts in best practice implementation.

Pregnant and Postpartum Women:

• Resource List for Supporting Pregnant and Postpartum Women to be Tobacco-Free (For Professional reference). This resource list includes websites, health professional training opportunities, and hard copy resources. Order information and cost is also included. This list was created by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit Public Health Unit project site.

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