The integration of tobacco dependence treatment and tobacco-free standards into residential addictions treatment in New Jersey

Williams, Jill M.; Foulds, Jonathan; Dwyer, Martha; Order-Connors, Bernice; Springer, Monifa; Gadde, Padma; Ziedonis, Douglas M.

doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2005.02.010

« Previous Next »Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
Volume 28, Issue 4 , Pages 331-340, June 2005

The integration of tobacco dependence treatment and tobacco-free standards into residential addictions treatment in New Jersey

Jill M. Williams, M.D.
- Tobacco Dependence Program, School of Public Health, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Corresponding author. Tobacco Dependence Program, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, Suite 210, 317 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Jonathan Foulds, Ph.D.
- Tobacco Dependence Program, School of Public Health, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Martha Dwyer, M.A., L.C.A.D.C., C.T.T.S.
- Tobacco Dependence Program, School of Public Health, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Bernice Order-Connors, L.C.S.W., C.A.D.C.
- Tobacco Dependence Program, School of Public Health, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Monifa Springer, M.P.H.
- Tobacco Dependence Program, School of Public Health, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Padma Gadde, M.B.B.S., M.P.H.
- Department of Pediatrics, Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, Bronx, NY 10451, USA
Douglas M. Ziedonis, M.D., M.P.H.
- Tobacco Dependence Program, School of Public Health, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA

Received 22 August 2004; received in revised form 21 February 2005; accepted 25 February 2005.

Abstract

New Jersey was the first state to implement a licensure standard for all residential addiction treatment programs to assess and treat tobacco dependence in the context of entirely tobacco-free facilities (including grounds). A program evaluation of the first year of the policy (2001–2002) assessed the impact on programs, clients, and staff. At 1-year follow-up, all 30 residential programs surveyed provided some tobacco dependence treatment and 50% had tobacco-free grounds. Eighty-five percent of the programs accepted the state's offer to provide free NRT, reaching more than 2,326 clients. Seventy-seven percent of all clients were smokers, and 65% of the smokers reported they wanted to stop or cut down tobacco use. Forty-one percent of the smokers reported that they did not use any tobacco during their entire residential stay. There was no increase in irregular discharges, or reduction in proportion of smokers among those entering residential treatment, compared with prior years. Licensure standards regulation can be an effective mechanism for increasing the quantity and quality of tobacco dependence treatment in residential addictions programs.

Keywords: Nicotine, Addictions, Treatment, Residential, Tobacco