Effective tobacco and nicotine cessation requires more than clinical guidelines. Healthcare systems also need clear structures, trained professionals, accessible services and consistent approaches to identifying and supporting people who want to quit. This JA PreventNCD study assesses the infrastructure for tobacco and nicotine cessation services across Finland and establishes a baseline for evaluating national recommendations introduced in 2024.
The researchers surveyed healthcare professionals representing 21 Finnish wellbeing service counties and related healthcare organisations. The findings show considerable variation in how cessation services are organised. While 81% of respondents reported systems for documenting tobacco and nicotine use and 71% reported access to digital cessation services, only 29% had a dedicated entity responsible for coordinating cessation work and one third provided annual cessation training for healthcare professionals. Monitoring, shared care pathways and structured approaches to early identification and brief intervention were also unevenly implemented.
The study highlights the need for stronger institutional support, clearer organisational structures, professional training, communication and consistent information flows. It also identifies gaps in services for groups requiring additional support, including people in disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances and patients using mental health or substance use services. The authors recommend continued monitoring and evaluation of the national recommendations to support more consistent, accessible and equitable tobacco and nicotine cessation services.
Read the full paper in Tobacco Induced Diseases:
https://doi.org/10.18332/tid/219129