Mike, who is 45 years old, wants to stop smoking. He made a quit attempt 10 years ago, but started to smoke again after three months. He suffers from a cough when he gets up in the morning and says he is now determined to stop smoking. Having tried NRT before, he would like to try e-cigarettes. His brother is using them, but his partner says Mike should just stop smoking. She doesn’t like the idea of him using e-cigarettes as she thinks they will encourage him to keep smoking and she is worried about his cough. Mike is not sure he can ‘just stop’. How might you respond to Mike?

For this activity, search the websites above and other articles and information on this topic. Discuss:

• What questions would you ask Mike (e.g. what type of NRT did he use; would he consider using a different type of NRT)?
• What suggestions might you give Mike about his cough? Would you refer him to his GP?
• The positive, encouraging things you could say to Mike at this stage and further into his quit attempt (e.g. health improvement, reduced disease risk – remember to be specific about the benefits)
• What are the pros and cons of electronic cigarettes that you would discuss with Mike?
• What other information might you give him?