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Smoking Cessation - Project Description

"We cannot selectively treat …(one's) mental health needs while ignoring the health risks of continued tobacco use."
-- UMDNJ

Responding to the concerns of our membership - and the tragic losses of a few Clubhouse members due to cancer - Clubhouse of Suffolk applied for and was awarded a grant by the New York State tobacco Control Program to address the special needs of individuals with mental illnesses who struggle with nicotine addiction.

Thanks to this grant, our Smoking Cessation Project has developed an approach to addressing the unique needs of this population. The cornerstones of this approach are:

Education: In eight-session classes held twice weekly at Clubhouse and Synergy, disseminate information about smoking, its physiological effects, and its unique connection with mental illnesses and psychotropic medications
Support: At all levels of readiness to quit and active planning to quit, we offer peer support services including formal support groups, individual reach-out calls, and individual counseling. Specially-designed incentives are often used to enhance a quit plan.
Nicotine Replacement Therapies: We facilitate the use of NRTs by providing information and education to our members and their physicians. We also help program participants access their NRTs through Medicaid or other resources.
Wellness Services: We have learned that quitting nicotine is only aspect of addressing changes to achieving a healthy lifestyle and a longer and healthier life. As such, our services include nutrition education, exercise, and a range of symptom management strategies including yoga, meditation, and T'ai Chi.

Benefits of Quitting

Here are some of the things that our members tell us they love about being smoke-free:

"Food tastes better…your sense of smell improves."
"I save money"
"My home, car, and clothes smell better"
"My family and friends stop complaining about my smoking"
"I stop worrying so much about quitting"

Some people have been able to reduce he level of psychotropic medications because of going smoke-free.