Substance Abuse Recovery Turns Into a Smoke-Free Facility

Torrance, CA, July 04, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Based on the study of Sir Thomas Gregoire, an associate professor from social work at Ohio State University together with his co-author, stated that being tobacco-free at a rehab center may disappoint patients from completing their recovery. Their study shows that when the Ohio women’s substance treatment center had implemented their non-smoking campaign both smokers and non-smokers left their program early after the policy has changed.

Studies show that 75% of all drug and alcohol addicts smoke cigarettes and some treatment centers allow them to smoke inside. Some say that helping someone fight their addiction is to let them take it step by step by allowing them to take a cigarette.

Today, Substance Abuse Recovery has implemented a tobacco-free policy because the facility believes that the real best way to quit smoking is to quit while detoxifying from everything and the treatment center believes that it is better to quit addiction up front, not wait with nicotine until later. Everyone in the center had followed the smoke-free policy, including doctors, nurses, staffs, therapist, patients and visitors in order to reduce second-hand smoke exposure and to afford smokers with other addictions, an environment which follows the process of the policy.

Substance Abuse Recovery focuses not only to drug and alcohol addicts but also to tobacco addicts. Tobacco is one of the most used and abused substance in the world. Smokers become dependent on nicotine and it is addictive like caffeine, but the difference is cigarette kills. When someone stops from smoking he/she might suffer from a physical and emotional withdrawal syndrome. It’s the body adjusting to not having nicotine. It is the experience of those who have smoked heavily for many years. This withdrawal symptom includes nicotine craving, anger, frustration, irritability, anxiety, depression and weight gain.

The facility had agreed to follow smoking cessation. This can be achieved with or without professional assistance, but a combination of personal strength and medication proves to be more effective for many smokers. The facility also followed the “5 A’s intervention”. Ask, Advise, Asses, Assist, and Arrange. In which patients are Asked for their history of smoking, Advised each patient to quit, Assess how ready a patient currently to quit smoking, Assist by providing help to move an individual towards a successful quit attempt and lastly Arrange in which patients are being followed-up. By having this new policy Substance Abuse Recovery aims to help clients to be clean not only on drugs and alcohol but also to tobacco.