Comments on: Smoke-free Policies at Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers – A Big Mistake from Hazelden? http://www.spiritualriver.com/smoke-free-policies-at-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-centers-a-big-mistake-from-hazelden/ Non-traditional recovery from addiction Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:09:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: SJhttp://www.spiritualriver.com/smoke-free-policies-at-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-centers-a-big-mistake-from-hazelden/comment-page-1/#comment-147475 SJ Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:01:05 +0000 http://www.spiritualriver.com/smoke-free-policies-at-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-centers-a-big-mistake-from-hazelden/#comment-147475 For those of you that DONT agree with this article.. You are by far the most ignorant people on here. This author is 100% Correct in proving that if you want to help someone with their immediate addiction and save their LIFE, you must allow them to have a cigarette or two a day. And who ever wrote there has never been any dangers of "second hand alcoholism" are you joking? My best friend got murdered by a drunk driver. How many fights and brawls come about because of drunkards? How many fights do you see because someone is having a smoke outside? Get out of here with your rubbish remarks trying to falsify this article.. Its a disgrace honestly. Go get checked. For those of you that DONT agree with this article.. You are by far the most ignorant people on here. This author is 100% Correct in proving that if you want to help someone with their immediate addiction and save their LIFE, you must allow them to have a cigarette or two a day. And who ever wrote there has never been any dangers of “second hand alcoholism” are you joking? My best friend got murdered by a drunk driver. How many fights and brawls come about because of drunkards? How many fights do you see because someone is having a smoke outside? Get out of here with your rubbish remarks trying to falsify this article.. Its a disgrace honestly. Go get checked.

]]> By: Zimhttp://www.spiritualriver.com/smoke-free-policies-at-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-centers-a-big-mistake-from-hazelden/comment-page-1/#comment-116120 Zim Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:39:13 +0000 http://www.spiritualriver.com/smoke-free-policies-at-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-centers-a-big-mistake-from-hazelden/#comment-116120 It's good to hear an insider's take on smoke-free addiction/substance misuse treatment facilities. Although I believe that facilities should go smoke-free in order to reduce secondhand smoke exposure and to afford smokers with other addictions (such as Kim above) an environment which fosters the process of 'quitting' smoking, I do not believe it is fair to 'force' abstinence on anyone. In my line of work (smoking cessation treatment) we are careful to separate 'nicotine' from the 'cigarette/tobacco' product. Nicotine is addictive, same as caffeine, but cigarettes/tobacco products kill (unlike coffee). So the focus is on the harmful way in which nicotine is delivered (i.e., through cigarette), not so much on the nicotine itself which, although addictive, is not the primary health risk from the cigarettes. As a healthcare provider I believe that it is unconscionable to enable individuals to persist in using cigarettes/tobacco products- which are known to kill (especially after having cared for people on there deathbeds who say 'I wish I never started to smoke'). However, I believe it is absolutely unethical and even immoral (against good conscience) to force a smoker to go through nicotine withdrawal. A 'happy medium' that we try to pursue in my line of work is to have treatment facilities make nicotine replacement products (ie. patch ,gum, lozenge e.t.c.) readily available and addictions counselors sufficiently trained in using nicotine replacement products to manage nicotine withdrawal. We are also careful to make a clear distinction between nicotine withdrawal management and smoking cessation. Smoking cessation is a process and not an event! I know I'm preaching to the choir but smokers are not a homogenous group of people (i.e., occasional smokers, social smokers, chippers, heavy smokers e.t.c.) and smoke for different reasons and are at different stages of readiness to quit smoking. Smoking cessation is less successful if individuals are unwilling or unprepared to engage in the process. However, nicotine withdrawal management should be an imperative, particularly when smokers are placed in situations of 'forced' abstinence (ie., incarceration, hospitalization, recovery treatment). I'd like to see more people promoting the 'safe' use of nicotine in addictions treatment facilities; and to move the dialogue away from nicotine abstinence to cigarette/tobacco product abstinence for individuals with addictions/substance misuse in addictions services. It’s good to hear an insider’s take on smoke-free addiction/substance misuse treatment facilities. Although I believe that facilities should go smoke-free in order to reduce secondhand smoke exposure and to afford smokers with other addictions (such as Kim above) an environment which fosters the process of ‘quitting’ smoking, I do not believe it is fair to ‘force’ abstinence on anyone. In my line of work (smoking cessation treatment) we are careful to separate ‘nicotine’ from the ‘cigarette/tobacco’ product. Nicotine is addictive, same as caffeine, but cigarettes/tobacco products kill (unlike coffee). So the focus is on the harmful way in which nicotine is delivered (i.e., through cigarette), not so much on the nicotine itself which, although addictive, is not the primary health risk from the cigarettes.

As a healthcare provider I believe that it is unconscionable to enable individuals to persist in using cigarettes/tobacco products- which are known to kill (especially after having cared for people on there deathbeds who say ‘I wish I never started to smoke’). However, I believe it is absolutely unethical and even immoral (against good conscience) to force a smoker to go through nicotine withdrawal. A ‘happy medium’ that we try to pursue in my line of work is to have treatment facilities make nicotine replacement products (ie. patch ,gum, lozenge e.t.c.) readily available and addictions counselors sufficiently trained in using nicotine replacement products to manage nicotine withdrawal.

We are also careful to make a clear distinction between nicotine withdrawal management and smoking cessation. Smoking cessation is a process and not an event! I know I’m preaching to the choir but smokers are not a homogenous group of people (i.e., occasional smokers, social smokers, chippers, heavy smokers e.t.c.) and smoke for different reasons and are at different stages of readiness to quit smoking. Smoking cessation is less successful if individuals are unwilling or unprepared to engage in the process. However, nicotine withdrawal management should be an imperative, particularly when smokers are placed in situations of ‘forced’ abstinence (ie., incarceration, hospitalization, recovery treatment).
I’d like to see more people promoting the ‘safe’ use of nicotine in addictions treatment facilities; and to move the dialogue away from nicotine abstinence to cigarette/tobacco product abstinence for individuals with addictions/substance misuse in addictions services.

]]> By: Patrickhttp://www.spiritualriver.com/smoke-free-policies-at-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-centers-a-big-mistake-from-hazelden/comment-page-1/#comment-97936 Patrick Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:05:27 +0000 http://www.spiritualriver.com/smoke-free-policies-at-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-centers-a-big-mistake-from-hazelden/#comment-97936 Got news for you Francis: the author quit smoking cigarettes over 5 years ago! New research suggests we have a finite amount of willpower for making life changes all at once. Addicts should definitely keep smoking in early recovery. My opinion only of course. But I stand by it, as an ex-smoker even. Take care. Got news for you Francis: the author quit smoking cigarettes over 5 years ago!

New research suggests we have a finite amount of willpower for making life changes all at once.

Addicts should definitely keep smoking in early recovery. My opinion only of course. But I stand by it, as an ex-smoker even.

Take care.

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