Although tobacco use is common among individuals treated for substance use disorders (SUDs), many treatment settings do not address it. Evidence indicates that tobacco related disease is more likely to cause mortality among individuals treated for SUD’s than their substance of abuse, that stopping smoking does not impede recovery and may be associated with improved SUD outcomes. Dr. Andy Saxon, an addiction psychiatrist and Director of VA’s Center of Excellence in Addiction Treatment and Education at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, joins to discuss the importance of addressing tobacco use in the context of SUD treatment, the impact of smoking on a patient’s recovery, how psychiatrists are ideally suited to treat tobacco use, and how they can incorporate it into their clinical practice.

Find your nearest VA: https://www.va.gov/find-locations