A clinician’s perspective: Addressing tobacco cessation and harm reduction in the wake of an “annus horibilis” (or a year like no other)

2020 was a year like no other.  The COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone but especially challenged health care systems.  The social unrest of the “Black Lives Matter” movement led health care systems to increase focus on reducing causes of health disparities and addressing institutional racism.  New research on e-cigarettes and clinical guidelines on tobacco treatment continued to appear but may have been overlooked by distracted clinicians.  After a year like no other, what might a typical U.S. clinician caring for adults be thinking about smoking cessation and e-cigarette use?  Health care systems remain a key conduit for delivering the tobacco cessation and harm reduction treatments needed to reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. This presentation will consider the unprecedented events of 2020—and clinicians’ and health care systems’ responses to them – in order to reflect on opportunities and challenges that might affect the delivery of tobacco cessation treatment to U.S. adults.