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The Untreated Addiction: Going Tobacco-Free in a VA Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP)

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Abstract

Despite negative effects of tobacco on the human body and the high prevalence of smoking among those who enter treatment for substance use, few residential programs endorse a tobacco-free policy. Conventional wisdom suggests that it is overwhelming to quit more than one substance at a time, and as a result, many clinicians believe that a shift to a tobacco-free treatment environment is unfeasible. However, the most recent scientific literature suggests the opposite: targeting tobacco use during substance use treatment can increase abstinence rates from both smoking and substances of choice. Therefore, the purpose of the current project is to outline the process by which a residential substance use treatment program within a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center implemented a tobacco-free policy. In addition, preliminary program evaluation data dispels the myth that eliminating tobacco use in a residential treatment program leads to a decline in patient interest and program utilization.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Summa Health Traumatic Stress Center, 444 N. Main Street, Suite 420, Akron, OH, 44310, USA

    Megan Conrad PhD

  2. Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Teri Bolte PhD, ABPP, Leigh Gaines MD, Zackery Avery & Linda Bodie PsyD, LICDC-CS, CTTS

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Teri Bolte PhD, ABPP, Leigh Gaines MD & Linda Bodie PsyD, LICDC-CS, CTTS

Authors
  1. Megan Conrad PhD
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  2. Teri Bolte PhD, ABPP
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  3. Leigh Gaines MD
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  4. Zackery Avery
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  5. Linda Bodie PsyD, LICDC-CS, CTTS
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Correspondence to Megan Conrad PhD.

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Conrad, M., Bolte, T., Gaines, L. et al. The Untreated Addiction: Going Tobacco-Free in a VA Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP). J Behav Health Serv Res 45, 659–667 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-018-9610-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-018-9610-2

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