OBJECTIVES: Physicians are in a unique position to advise smokers to quit by integrating the various aspects of nicotine dependence. This review provides an overview of interventions for smokers presenting in a clinical setting. RESULTS: Strategies used for smoking cessation counselling differ according to patient's readiness to quit. For smokers who do not intend to quit smoking, physicians should inform and sensitise them about tobacco use and cessation. For smokers who are dissonant, physicians should use motivational strategies, such as discussing barriers to cessation and their solutions. For smokers ready to quit, the physician should show strong support, help set a quit date, prescribe pharmaceutical therapies for nicotine dependence, such as nicotine replacement therapy (i.e., gum, transdermal patch, nasal spray, mouth inhaler, lozenges, micro and sublingual tablets) and/or bupropion (atypical antidepressant thought to work by blocking neural reuptake of dopamine and/or nor epinephrine), with instructions for use, and suggest behavioural strategies to prevent relapse. The efficacy of all of these pharmacotherapies is comparable, roughly doubling cessation rates over control conditions. Varenicline is a promising new effective drug recently approved by many health authorities. CONCLUSION: Physician counselling and pharmacotherapeutic interventions for smoking cessation are among the most cost-effective clinical interventions.