Posted on 07/23/2007 11:41:45 PM PDT by neverdem
New York would become the first state requiring all addiction treatment programs to help their clients quit smoking under a proposed rule to be announced today.
Pointing to the high number of tobacco-related deaths among former addicts, the state’s Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Service said that by July 24 of next year, all facilities treating drug or alcohol addiction would have to have programs in place to encourage clients to stop smoking. Under the plan, all treatment centers would have to be smoke-free, and staff members would also have to abide by the ban.
Treatment for nicotine addiction, including drugs to relieve cravings, would have to be offered to all patients, and provided free to those without insurance. Patients who refuse to quit smoking could still be treated for other addictions, but they would not be allowed to smoke at the treatment centers.
New Jersey has required residential addiction programs to treat nicotine addiction and be smoke-free since 2001, but officials in New York say it would be the first state to require smoking cessation efforts in outpatient programs, which account for two-thirds of the 1,100 treatment programs in the state. Programs in New York that failed to comply with the smoking regulations could lose state certification and would have to stop treating clients.
The new requirements, if adopted after public review, would affect 110,000 clients on any given day. They could prove to be a significant hurdle for recovering addicts, who as a group tend to be committed and heavy smokers. Officials estimate that up to 92 percent of drug and alcohol rehabilitation clients in the state smoke, compared with 19 percent of the general population.
For a long time, common wisdom held that it would be too hard for patients addicted to drugs or alcohol to...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Sushi, Diet Soda Latest Health Targets
FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.
Herr Bloomberg’s crusade against smoking is pissing me off. And I’m allergic to cigarettes!
N. Korea: Smoking ban for Dear Leader’s benefit (Chia Head bans smoking)
This will increase the relapse rate for heroin, etc.
Herr Spitzer's appointee is the nanny, IMHO. Not that Herr Bloomberg doesn't concur.
Don’t worry — Bloomberg is like a bored haus frau looking for a project.
Kim Jong Bloomberg?
Thanks for the ping!
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