Clinical Cessation and Intervention Unit

While we’ve made great progress in tobacco control, smoking remains the leading cause of death in the United States. In addition to preventing a new generation of tobacco users from starting, it is important that we continue to help tobacco users quit. Cigarette smokers die an average of 10 years earlier than people who’ve never smoked, but quitting tobacco improves health and prolongs life no matter when they quit.¹ Fortunately, most smokers want to quit and each year roughly half of them try.² Unfortunately, the vast majority return to smoking. Health care professionals play an important role in encouraging their patients to quit and in connecting them to medication and behavioral services which can double their chances of staying quit for good.^3,4

The human and financial costs of smoking are staggering:

Nationally, smoking and tobacco use causes 480,000 deaths each year⁵
In California, over 3 million adults still smoke annually^6,7
Smoking costs California over 30,000 lives and $18 billion

The long-term goal for the Cessation and Clinical Intervention Unit (CCIU) is that every health care provider will integrate current clinical professional practice standards into everyday workflow and increase tobacco cessation screenings.

Recent Updates

In April 2021, the Cessation and Clinical Intervention Unit collaborated with the University of Colorado to sponsor the Rocky Mountain Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training program. A Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS) is a professional who possesses the skills, knowledge and training to provide effective, evidence-based interventions for tobacco dependence across a range of intensities. A TTS may engage not only in providing treatment but also in educating others (healthcare professionals, administrators, scientists, smokers, nonsmokers) about tobacco dependence treatments. CCIU successfully trained 40 professionals throughout Los Angeles County to become Tobacco Treatment Specialists. We look forward to our continued collaboration and increasing tobacco cessation throughout Los Angeles County.

Workgroup Information

The CCIU workgroup will convene quarterly to collaborate and assist with tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The cessation workgroup provides an opportunity to draw on the shared knowledge and experience of community members to determine the greatest needs and priorities related to tobacco cessation.

Workgroup Objectives:

Tailoring of cultural and linguistic educational materials and cessation interventions
Identify alternative community cessation intervention settings
Utilize subject matter expertise
Build capacity among priority populations
Share resources and best practices

Resources

LAQuits.com
LA County Tobacco Cessation Resources
Smoking Cessation Insurance Clinic Resources
Kick It California - formerly California Smokers’ Helpline, is a free tobacco cessation program.
Kick It California for LGBTQ - During intake clients can request to be connected to an LGBTQ+ champion on the cessation counseling team who has the training and/or the life experience to provide cessation counseling to the LGBTQ+ community (including the proper name and pronouns for transgender/non-binary people).
California Tobacco Control Branch
African American Cessation Services
American Indian Commercial Tobacco Program (AICTP)
This Free Life - App based cessation program. This phone number will refer people to the CA based tobacco cessation programs for phone cessation counseling.
L.A. Care
211 LA
Tarzana Treatment Center
University of California (UCnet)
Citywide partnership led by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
City of Hope
Smoking Among Adults from DMH

Clinical Professional Guidelines: Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence 2008 Update

Educational Professionals:

References

American Academy of Family Physicians (2016). Pharmacologic Product Guide: FDA-Approved Medications for Smoking Cessation.
Benowitz, NL. Pharmacology of Nicotine: Addiction, smoking-Induced Disease and Therapeutics. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 2009;49:57-71.
Linson-Hawley N, Aveyard P, Hughes JR. Reduction vs abrupt cessation in smokers who want to quit. Cochrane Data-base Syst Rev. 2012:11:CD008033.
Lindson-Hawley N, et al. Gruadual versus abrupt smoking cessation. Ann Int Med. 2016 doi: 10.7326/M14-2805
NSW Government. Medication Interactions with Smoking and Smoking Cessation. Accessed on 9/11/2017 @ http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/tobacco/Publications/tool-14-medication-intera.pdf
Stead LF, Perera R, Bullen C et al. Nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviwes 2012, Issue 11. Art. No.L CD000146. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000146.pub4.
Cahill K, Stevens S, Perera R, Lancaster T. Pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation: an overview and network meta-analysis.CochraneDatabase of SystematicReviews 2013, Issue 5.Art.No.:CD009329.DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD009329.pub2.

Tobacco Control andPrevention Program