About Us

In an effort to reduce children's exposure to tobacco smoke, the Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure program was developed after extensive research in the adult and child healthcare settings and is based on the current best practices for the adult setting. CEASE trains and supports child healthcare offices to provide smoking cessation assistance to parents who smoke, as well as to help families establish rules for a completely smoke-free home and car. With the Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure, trained clinicians and office staff consistently and systematically use a streamlined, three-step version of the traditional five-step (i.e., ask, advise, assess, assist, arrange) approach to smoking cessation and smoke-free home and car rule support. The program has led to an increase in the provision of cessation assistance and higher quit rates.

CEASE is currently being scientifically evaluated by a team of tobacco control experts, pediatricians, public health professionals, and dissemination specialists.

Our History

CEASE was launched in 2005; the effectiveness of the program continues to be improved through research, quality improvement efforts, feedback from professionals and care providers, and through the inclusion of developments from the field and from health care researchers.

To better meet the needs of child healthcare clinicians, the CEASE team has partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence.

The mission of the Richmond Center is to improve child health by eliminating children’s exposure to tobacco and tobacco smoke through changing the clinical practice of pediatrics. The vision is that all child healthcare clinicians will be active participants in the elimination of tobacco/SHS exposure of children.

With the establishment of the Richmond Center at the AAP, child health clinicians will be provided with the education, training and tools needed to effectively intervene to protect children from the harmful effects of tobacco/SHS. For more information on the mission and activities of the Richmond Center, please visit: The Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence.

Get Started With CEASE

The three simple steps of CEASE:

1. Ask
Does your child live with anyone who uses tobacco?

2. Assist
Your child's doctor or nurse can help you quit tobacco and help you have a tobacco-free home and car.

3. Refer 
One call or text can help you quit tobacco. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or sign up with Smokefree TXT