Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Treating Smoking As Any Other Addiction
Renfrew residential addictions program tackles tobacco use
A residential recovery home for men with alcohol and other drug-related problems in Renfrew County is leading the way in smoking cessation, helping clients to be free from all addictions, including tobacco.
Since the spring of 2013, Mackay Manor has embraced a new approach in which smoking is treated like any other addiction. Clients and staff are given the supports they need to go smoke-free. This is an innovative approach because tobacco use, historically, has been ignored among people treating substance use issues.
“Tobacco-related illness is the leading cause of death among mental health and addictions clients, so it’s unbelievable that tobacco use wasn’t being addressed in the past,” explains Tom Carroll, Executive Director of Mackay Manor who quit smoking a decade ago. “Cigarettes were seen as a coping mechanism, a crutch, a pacifier. But that mindset is changing. We should be offering full recovery – true freedom, not using any unhealthy coping mechanisms, tobacco included.”
Various tobacco-recovery supports are given to residential clients and agency staff at the 16-bed centre in the town of Renfrew, including specialized workshops, group sessions, nicotine replacement therapy, and regular breathing tests that indicate whether cigarettes have been smoked (through measured carbon monoxide levels). The Champlain LHIN provided roughly $40,000 to this program in 2013-14.
Success rates are better for clients when they stop all addictive substances at once, Tom says, and Mackay Manor has seen a positive impact as a result of its new care model. In fact, since the program began, 45 of 49 enrolled smokers were able to stay smoke-free while under residential care at Mackay Manor.
Nick Liedtke, 25, a former smoker, was one of those clients. Tobacco was his first addiction, and “one of the hardest,” he says. Right from the start, he agreed with Mackay Manor’s approach to tobacco use. “I wanted to change my life. This time it was a different feeling. I had more motivation. I was focused on the treatment, not when the next cigarette break would be.”
Now Nick goes to the gym every day. He doesn’t like the smell of cigarettes or even the thought of smoking. He’s part of a smoking-cessation study conducted by the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health, and wanted to share his story publicly to inspire others struggling with tobacco addiction.
Mackay Manor is now working with other residential addictions programs in the Champlain region interested in using the same model.
“The smoking-cessation program at Mackay Manor is a great example of innovation in addiction treatment,” says Champlain LHIN CEO Chantale LeClerc. “Importantly, it aligns with our vision of healthy people and healthy communities supported by a quality, accessible health system.”
“Smoking, like any other addiction, poses significant risks to one’s health and well-being," says Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski. "Providing innovative addiction treatment to those who want to quit smoking is a proactive approach, and helps prevent health complications and hospital visits down the road. The smoking cessation program is a wonderful addition to the important services that Mackay Manor provides.”
Learn More
Champlain LHIN Mental Health and Addictions
Media Inquiries
Champlain Media Line
613.747.3250
Toll Free: 1.866.902.5446 x 3250
champlain.media@lhins.on.ca
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