Tuesday, May 6, 2008

"Maui Drug Court Uses Smoking Cessation To Fight Drug Addiction"

This is from the Nov. 2005 issue of Maui Tobacco-Free News, but the information is still current and relevant:

When Barbara-Ann Keller, Administrator of the Maui Drug Court, learned that client attempts to quit smoking were often met with the pressure to join other clients for “smoke breaks,” and that counseling sessions regularly occurred over a smoldering ashtray, Keller began what would become a system-wide change in the Maui Drug Court.

The very next day, smoke-free counseling sessions were in place, and in the coming months, Keller planted the seeds for what is now a thriving addictions treatment program that takes tobacco and nicotine addiction seriously.

With statistics that show drug addicts are 50 percent more likely to stay clean long term if they are not also addicted to nicotine, Keller utilized widely available smoking cessation resources to see if Maui Drug Court could become even more effective in treating addiction.