Term	Definition	Example
Brief intervention (the five A’s)	A short, structured conversation, often only a few minutes, used to raise a health behaviour and support change. The five steps: Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange. Clinicians write “brief intervention given” in the notes.	"I'll note that we've done a brief intervention about smoking today."
Smoking history / pack-years	A structured record of how much and how long someone has smoked. Pack-years = packs smoked per day × years smoked (one pack = 20 cigarettes). Collocations: current smoker, ex-smoker, never smoked.	"Can I take a quick smoking history, so I can work out your pack-years?"
Readiness to quit	How prepared a patient feels to stop, often measured with a scale question: “On a scale of one to ten, how ready do you feel?” Key follow-up: “Why a six, and not a three?”	"On a scale of one to ten, how ready do you feel to quit?"
Cessation	The formal word for stopping, almost always heard as smoking cessation. Register pair: clinicians write cessation in notes and service names; to the patient they say stopping or quitting.	"I'll refer you to the local smoking cessation service."
Withdrawal symptoms	The unpleasant effects of going without nicotine: irritability, restlessness, poor concentration, trouble sleeping, feeling hungrier. They usually ease off over time.	"Feeling irritable at first is one of the most common withdrawal symptoms."
Cravings	Strong, short-lived urges to smoke. Collocations: a craving hits, cravings come and go, ride out a craving.	"When a craving hits, it usually passes if you can ride it out."
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)	Products that give the body nicotine without smoke, to ease cravings and withdrawal: patches, gum, lozenges. Said in full the first time, then “NRT” (the letters N, R, T).	"The stop smoking team can help you choose the right type of NRT."
Quit date	The agreed day a patient stops smoking completely. Collocations: set a quit date, stick to your quit date, the run-up to your quit date.	"Would you like to pick a quit date?"
Relapse	Going back to regular smoking after a period of stopping. Not the same as a lapse or slip: one or two cigarettes, followed by a return to not smoking.	"A relapse doesn't mean you can't try again."
Stop smoking service	The free local service that gives specialist support to people who want to quit. In England it is usually commissioned by the local council. Patients can refer themselves (self-referral, Episode 12).	"I can refer you to the stop smoking service today, or you can refer yourself."

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How do you ask a patient about smoking in English without lecturing them?

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