Tobacco addiction causes 438,000 deaths in the United States each year, making it the leading preventable cause of death. In addition, some 8.6 million Americans live with serious smoking-related illness. Of the 44.5 million current smokers, 70 percent say that they would like to quit. But without assistance, less than five percent are able to stop smoking. They need help from health professionals, whose advice serves as a powerful motivator.

The Smoking Cessation Leadership Center (SCLC) is a national program office of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Significant support is also provided by the American Legacy Foundation. SCLC aims to increase smoking cessation rates and increase the number of health professionals who help smokers quit. The Center creates partnerships for results with a variety of groups and institutions to develop and implement action plans around smoking cessation. Partnerships with dental hygienists, nurses, pharmacists, emergency physicians, hospitals, labor unions, family physicians, the Veterans Health Administration and myriad other groups all lead toward the same goal: saving lives by increasing cessation rates and cessation interventions.

SCLC and the Mental Health Partnership

The Smoking Cessation Leadership Center recognizes the importance of assisting smokers within underserved mental health populations and in doing so, is proud to be part of a first in the field of cessation and mental health - the formation of an SCLC partnership of mental health advocates - The National Mental Health Partnership for Wellness and Smoking Cessation.

Mission Statement

We the undersigned resolve to bring forth and lead a national partnership campaign to make health and wellness a priority for people with mental illnesses and for the providers who serve them. As a first and immediate focus, we commit ourselves to addressing the serious consequences of smoking and to emphasizing smoking cessation in all mental health service delivery settings.

Click here for more information on The Partnership.

3 million
1-800 QUIT NOW cards now in circulation. Encourage someone you know to quit smoking.
For more information click here.

The SCLC Catalogue of Tools is here. Download your copy today!

Washington QUITS! Business and labor, insurance and providers come together to help washington tobacco users quit.

RWJF offers a new toolkit for implementing smokefree laws. www.goingsmokefree.org

Chicago Second Wind initiative continues its work to help smokers quit!

Download your own Mental Health Provider toolkit to help help consumers quit smoking.

New toolkit to help Mental Health facilities go smokefree - for details visit www.nasmhpd.org

ADHA first of SCLC partners to reach its goal! learn how they did it.

The Smoking Cessation Leadership Center (SCLC) provides links on its website to other websites that are not under its control. These links are provided for reference only and are not intended as an endorsement by the SCLC nor a guarantee regarding the quality of information found on the linked websites.