Are emergency department visits really a teachable moment? Smoking cessation promotion in emergency department.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of smoking cessation counseling in the emergency department (ED) versus in outpatient clinics (OCs) setting.

Methods: Over a 3-month period, smokers and recent quitters presenting to ED or OCs were questioned about their smoking habits and desire to quit. They also completed the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) questionnaire and Prochaska's stages of change (PSC) survey.