SAMHSA Policy Academy Creates New Partnerships Between Behavioral Health and Tobacco Control Advocates

 

The first SAMHSA Policy Academy to address tobacco and behavioral health took place at SAMHSA's headquarters in Rockville, Maryland on June 19-20, 2014. Those who attended were among selected specialists and leaders in the field of tobacco control and behavioral health representing Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and West Virginia.

The Policy Academy aims to further educate state leaders about the epidemic of tobacco use and behavioral health, and to provide statewide collaboration that addresses tobacco use by those with mental and substance use disorders. Ultimately, the Academy strives to prepare states to convene a local State Leadership Academy for Wellness and Smoking Cessation.

During the Academy, state leaders worked collaboratively to identify prospective solutions tailored to their specific state populations that will work to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use. Each state created an action plan that included baseline and target measures, assigned roles for implementation, community outreach efforts, and identified potential partners and stakeholders to implement a successful local effort. 

A distinguished panel of speakers, including directors from SAMHSA prevention and treatment centers delivered valuable information and guidance, indicating the need for the Policy Academy's focus on tobacco. Key note speaker Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, personally addressed the state champions and thanked them for their commitment to this important cause, "To achieve our vision of a world free of tobacco related death and disease, we must tackle this addiction in people with mental health and substance abuse disorders. Tragically, such individuals consume 40% of all cigarettes and make up nearly half of all the annual deaths from smoking in the US."

Moving forward, amongst creating new relationships and coalitions, states that attended left with an action plan and potential tools for implementation to create or build upon existing tobacco control and behavioral health initiatives within their states. With SAMHSA's commitment to another Policy Academy in 2015, SCLC looks forward to adding more states to the existing Leadership Academy network.

For more information on the Policy Academy on Behavioral Health and Tobacco, please contact Catherine Saucedo at csaucedo@medicine.ucsf.edu.

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CDC Tips from Former Smokers Ads

 

Read more about the campaign and access new resources tailored for dental professionals, health care professionals, and pharmacists, here: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/

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Partner webinars 

 

	12pm ET on Tuesday, 7/22/14	E-Cigarettes: Local Options in Light of Federal Action
	2-3:30pm ET on  Tuesday, 7/29/14	A Journey to Recovery: What Does the Cigarette Represent
	2-3:30pm ET on Thursday, 7/31/14	New Roots, Old Problem: Local Policy Approaches that Address Emerging Tobacco Trends
	2-3pm ET on Thursday, 8/7/14	As Seen on TV: Integrating Tobacco Education Campaigns into Your Clinical Practice

  

  

Publications, reports and articles

Is it Time for a Tobacco-free Military? (NEJM)