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Tobacco Use Smoking Status, effective  01/01/2022, captures Enter the code which describes the patient's past or current use of tobacco
(cigarette, cigar and/or pipe). (DO NOT record vaping devices)tobacco use. Record as a cigarette smoker if the chart says only "smoker" or "tobacco user".

Coding Instructions

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a. The patient currently smokes

b. The record only states “current tobacco use”

c. There is evidence in the medical record that the patient quit smoking within 30 days prior to diagnosis. The 30 days prior information is intended to differentiate patients who may

have quit recently due to symptoms that led to a cancer diagnosis.

4. Assign code 2 when the medical record indicates

a. “Former smoker”

b. “Prior tobacco use”

c. Patient has smoked tobacco in the past but does not smoke now. Patient must have quit 31 or more days prior to cancer diagnosis to be coded as ‘former smoker.’

5. Assign code 3 when

a. The patient is noted to have smoked, but the current smoking status is not known

b. It is known that the patient “recently” stopped smoking but it is not known how long ago the patient stopped smoking

c. It cannot be determined whether the patient currently smokes or formerly smoked

Example: The medical record only indicates “Yes” for smoking without further information.

6. Assign code 9 rather than code 0 when

a. The medical record only indicates “No” for tobacco use

b. Smoking status is not stated or provided

c. The method (cigarette, pipe, cigar) used cannot be verified in the chart

d. The record has no information about smoking status or history (e.g., pathology report only)

e. It is documented that the patient uses or used smokeless or chewing tobacco or e-cigarettes or vapes, but tobacco use is not mentioned

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