ABSTRACT
Community nurses are well placed to address smoking behaviour with
older people. Smoking cessation can significantly improve the health and
wellbeing of older people, and to withhold support for smoking cessation
is a form of age discrimination. This paper provides advice to community
nurses about how to approach discussions about smoking behaviour with
older clients as part of their health education practice. It addresses some of
the ethical concerns that have been raised by community nurses, explains
how smoking in older people may be reduced using a harm reduction
approach and through working with the concept of the smoke-free home