Maryland leadership academy for wellness and smoking cessation
Maryland was the fourth state to hold a Leadership Academy on Wellness and Smoking Cession. Beginning the evening of May 31st and all day June 1, 2011, leaders in public health, behavioral health and tobacco control came together for a first-ever Maryland initiative focused on reducing smoking prevalence among people with behavioral health disorders.
Maryland Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, Joshua Sharfstein, M.D., added, "Tobacco is a huge health problem for our clients. It's great that this conversation is happening. We should be prepared to do something different, and I look forward to seeing Action Plan that we will do."
Douglas Tipperman, MSW, Public Health Advisor, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, SAMHSA, attended on behalf of SAMHSA and also as a committed partner to the Maryland Academy. Mr. Tipperman noted, "SAMHSA is interested in knowing what we can do, and I look forward to coming back a year from now to see the difference we have made in Maryland. Fortunately, I live here and will be able to see that change happen."
The partners adopted the following baseline and target to reduce smoking prevalence among adult mental health and addictions clients by end-of-year 2014.
Baseline
- Partners adopted the baseline measure of smoking rate among Maryland adult mental health clients at 47.80% and 71.80% for addictions clients.
Target
- The partners adopted the target to reduce smoking prevalence among adult mental health and addictions clients by 20% each by end-of-year 2014.
Summit partners identified overarching Strategies. Maryland is the fourth of five states selected to hold Leadership Academies. The Academies are made possible by SAMHSA and SCLC. The goals of the Academies are to reduce smoking and nicotine addiction among behavioral health consumers and staff, to stimulate cooperation and collaboration among the fields of public health, including tobacco control and prevention, mental health, addiction treatment and prevention.