Increasing the quality and availability of evidence-based treatment for tobacco dependence through unified certification of tobacco treatment specialists

Christine E. Sheffer, Thomas Payne, Jamie S. Ostroff, Denise Jolicoeur, Michael Steinberg, Sharon Czabafy, Jonathan Foulds, Matthew Bars, Ken Wassum, Barbara Perry

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

Each year, tobacco use causes over 6 million deaths and is responsible for hundreds of billions of dollars in health care and economic costs in the world (WHO, 2011). If current trends continue, tobacco is expected to kill over 1 billion people in the 21st century, making it one of the single greatest causes of preventable death and disease in history (WHO, 2011). Long-term abstinence from tobacco use dramatically improves individuals' health, reduces the incidence of tobacco-related disease, and is clearly responsible for saving lives (Anthonisen et al., 2005). Most tobacco users express a desire to achieve long-term abstinence from tobacco use and make numerous unsuccessful quit attempts over the course of many years (Borland, Partos, Yong, Cummings, & Hyland, 2012; CDC, 2011). Evidence-based treatments for tobacco use and dependence greatly improve the chances that quit attempts result in long-term abstinence (Chambless & Hollon, 1998; Chambless et al., 1998; Compas, Haaga, Keefe, Leitenberg, & Williams, 1998; Fiore et al., 2008; Zwar et al., 2004). Increasing the availability of high-quality evidence-based treatment for tobacco use and dependence will make it more likely that tobacco users use evidence-based treatments and that quit attempts translate into long-term abstinence. The professionalisation of treatment for tobacco dependence by the development of a rigorous, unified Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS) certification process will increase the availability of high-quality evidence-based treatment for tobacco use and dependence for all tobacco users.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)229-235
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Smoking Cessation
Volume11
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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