quit smoking imageSYRACUSE, N.Y. —  The CNY Regional Center for Tobacco Health Systems at St. Joseph’s Health is encouraging smokers who suffer from anxiety and depression to quit the smoking habit. 

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., accounting for approximately one in five deaths. According to the New York State Department of Health, residents who experience frequent mental distress are 19% more likely to report smoking cigarettes than those who do not experience frequent anxiety, depression, or other mental disorders. 

Kristen Richardson, RN, director of the CNY Regional Center for Tobacco Health Systems at St. Joseph’s Health, and Danielle O’Brien, program coordinator, published an article in fall 2023, “Addressing Nicotine Dependence in Patients with Mental Health Concerns and/or Substance Use Disorders.” 

“What we know from our studies is that people struggling with mental illness often use nicotine to temporarily reduce symptoms of low mood and difficulty concentrating,” said Richardson. “The more they use, the stronger the addiction becomes and the more prone to relapse they may be if they try to quit because of the added stress of mental illness.” 

Some best practices identified by Richardson and O’Brien include having a tobacco-user identification system present in every clinic, including the evidence-based tobacco dependence treatment prompts of the 5As: Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist and Arrange. Other strategies include making sure there is education, resources and feedback for provider intervention, and assessments of the delivery of tobacco dependence treatment with other staff members in an office. 

“It’s so important to have comprehensive tobacco control programs to help treat this more vulnerable population," adds Richardson. 

The CNY Regional Center for Tobacco Health Systems at St. Joseph’s Health directs users to the NYS Smokers’ Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487), or http://www.nysmokefree.com, which provides free and confidential quit coaching for people who vape or smoke, and free starter kits of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to eligible New Yorkers to help them break their dependence on smoking or vaping tobacco. 

About St. Joseph’s Health 
St. Joseph’s Health, a non-profit health care system in Syracuse, New York, has been a trailblazer in the field since 1869 when it became the city’s first public hospital. Its commitment to exceptional care is evident in a network of acute, ambulatory, primary and specialty care services and partner care facilities providing a range of services to promote long-term health in the communities we serve. St. Joseph’s has been ranked by Consumer Reports among the top 15 heart surgery centers in the country, is a designated Primary Stroke Center, and is consistently named a Best Regional Hospital and #1 in the Syracuse Metro area by US News and World Report. St. Joseph’s Health is dedicated to excellence, innovation and compassionate patient care. From pioneering ambulance services in Syracuse to being the first in Central New York to use DaVinci robotic surgery technology in an outpatient facility, St. Joseph’s legacy of firsts demonstrates its ongoing commitment to leading medical advancements. Affiliated with St. Joseph’s Physicians and a member of Trinity Health, St. Joseph’s Health is your trusted partner in health, combining a rich history with a forward-thinking approach to ensure the health and well-being of our communities. 

About Trinity Health 
Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, Catholic health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 121,000 colleagues and nearly 36,500 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 27 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 101 hospitals, 126 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 136 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. Based in Livonia, Michigan, its annual operating revenue in FY2023 was $21.6 billion with $1.5 billion returned to its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. 

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