D12: Tobacco Prevention

A close-up of cigarette butts in a blue ashtray, highlighting tobacco consumption.

Course Overview

CE Hours

3 CE Credits

Course Description

Tobacco Prevention and Cessation examines nicotine, its use, and its risks, with a focus on methods of preventing and treating tobacco addiction. This course covers the neurological and physiological effects of nicotine on the brain and body, population trends in tobacco use, evidence-based prevention strategies across family, peer, school, and community environments, and clinical treatment frameworks including pharmacotherapy, behavioral counseling, and the 5 A’s and 5 R’s models. Learners will gain practical knowledge for identifying, preventing, and addressing tobacco dependence in health care settings.

Course Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  1. Describe the long-term effects of nicotine use and explain how tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal develop
  2. Explain how nicotine affects the brain, including its impact on dopamine and acetylcholine receptors
  3. Identify the major tobacco-related diseases and describe how they are affected by smoking cessation
  4. Describe the variation in tobacco use across different populations, including youth, women, and pregnant women
  5. Distinguish between protective factors and risk factors associated with tobacco and drug use prevention
  6. Explain evidence-based prevention strategies across family, peer, school, and community environments
  7. Describe the three types of counseling and behavioral therapies effective for tobacco cessation
  8. Identify first-line and second-line pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation
  9. Apply the 5 A’s framework for patients willing to quit and the 5 R’s framework for patients unwilling to quit

Course Format and Faculty

Course Format:

Online linked resources and lectures available anytime, 24/7. Includes one multiple-choice exam taken at the end of the course. A passing grade of 75% is required. Upon passing, learners may print their certificate immediately.

Course Developers and Instructors:

R. Klimes, PhD, MPH (Johns Hopkins University) is a scholar and author in health-related research, health behaviors, ethics, end-of-life care, and overall wellness. He has written numerous research reports and books and has held academic and leadership roles in higher education and public health internationally.

Course Time:

About three hours for online study, test taking with course evaluation feedback and certificate printing.