May 31 is World No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on May 31 is a yearly celebration that informs the public of the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, what is being done to fight the tobacco epidemic, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations. WNTD highlights the health and other risks associated with tobacco use and advocates effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. The 2025 Campaign is, Unmasking the Appeal of Tobacco and Nicotine Products. This event focus brings to light the appealing tobacco flavors in hopes to discount the health dangers such as heart disease.

Tobacco use is an important risk factor for the development of CHD, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Despite the known harms of tobacco to heart health, and the availability of solutions to reduce related death and disease, knowledge among large sections of the public that tobacco is one of the leading causes of CVD is low.

Facts About Tobacco, Heart and Other Cardiovascular Diseases

CVDs are the leading cause of death worldwide, and tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure contribute to approximately 17% of all heart disease deaths. Tobacco use is the second leading cause of CVD, after high blood pressure.

The global tobacco epidemic is the cause of death to more than seven million people each year, of which close to 900,000 are nonsmokers who die from breathing secondhand smoke. Nearly 80% of the more than one billion smokers worldwide live in low and middle income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest.

Did you know Medicare has a preventive service for tobacco cessation that allows you to perform and bill Medicare for the service?

Medicare Part B covers smoking cessation counseling to help your patients quit tobacco use, including up to eight sessions per year. Tobacco counseling is a Medicare covered preventative service. CMS’ MLN® Educational Tool: Medicare Preventive Services, is a toolkit for providers looking for information on counseling to prevent tobacco use. The NGS Tobacco Cessation web page is also home to a comprehensive list of job aids to assist providers with questions and concerns.

In addition, Medicare overs a wide array of preventive services, many with little or no cost to the Medicare beneficiaries - your patients. Preventive services include exams, shots, lab tests, and screenings. They also include programs for health monitoring, counseling and education to help you take care of your patient’s health. To learn more,  view CMS’ MLN® Educational Tool: Medicare Preventive Services.

Want to learn more about coverage and billing of tobacco cessation counseling? Our POE Team conducts live sessions to learn more about this important benefit.

Webinar: Counseling to Prevent Tobacco Use

To raise awareness and increase utilization of tobacco use counseling, we focus on the effects of nicotine dependence including affected health consequences during this webinar. Medicare coverage, coding, billing, and guidelines for tobacco use counseling for outpatient and hospitalized beneficiaries is also covered. NGS and the CMS resources will be provided, and a brief question and answer period is offered at the end of each session.

Note: All webinars are held in ET.

For more information about tobacco cessation, tools and resources visit Tobacco Cessation.

Posted 5/19/2025