In 1998 the UK government published a White Paper on tobacco which set out the development of smoking cessation treatment services across England. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the events leading up to the inclusion of smoking cessation treatment services within the White Paper, and the background to the evaluation of those services, the results of which are the subject of the remaining papers in this supplement.

In this article the authors discuss strategies to help patients stop smoking--the greatest cause of preventable illness and premature death in the UK. They outline the various products and local support services available for patients.