CHEST Releases Guideline on Tobacco Treatment in the Inpatient Setting
September 29, 2026
Glenview, IL – The American College of Chest Physicians® (CHEST) recently released a
new clinical guideline for tobacco treatment in the inpatient setting. Published in
the journal CHEST®, the guideline contains six
evidence-based recommendations that synthesize the existing literature to
inform key components of inpatient tobacco treatment.
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the
United States, and smoking rates are especially high among individuals of
lower socioeconomic status and among hospitalized populations. Tobacco
treatment interventions are among the most cost-effective strategies in
health care but are often underutilized.
“When a patient is hospitalized, there is a real opportunity to initiate
tobacco treatment,” said Hasmeena Kathuria, MD, lead author of the
guideline. “Our hope is that the standardized approach will help more
clinicians feel comfortable providing counseling and pharmacotherapy to all
hospitalized patients who smoke unless they explicitly decline and support
continued treatment after discharge. Implementing these approaches is likely
to improve smoking-cessation outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions.”
Highlights of the recommendations include:
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In hospitalized adults who smoke cigarettes, we recommend initiating
varenicline during hospitalization to promote smoking cessation
following discharge.
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In hospitalized adults who currently smoke cigarettes, we recommend
inpatient tobacco treatment counseling (15 or more minutes) over brief
advice (less than 15 minutes).
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In hospitalized adults who currently smoke cigarettes, we recommend that
inpatient tobacco treatment counseling include a referral to
postdischarge tobacco treatment counseling (eg, scheduled follow-up
contact; direct or electronic health record referral to a quitline or
outpatient program).
The entire list of recommendations included in the new guideline can be
accessed through the CHEST journal website in the article, “Tobacco Treatment in the Inpatient Setting: An American College of Chest Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline."
About the American College of Chest Physicians
The American College of Chest Physicians® (CHEST) is the global
leader in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases. Its
mission is to champion advanced clinical practice, education, communication,
and research in chest medicine. It serves as an essential connection to
clinical knowledge and resources for its 18,000+ members from around the
world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep
medicine. For information about the American College of Chest Physicians and
its family of journals, including the flagship journal CHEST®,
visit chestnet.org.