Determining the role of organizational policy in smoking cessation services and attitudes about smoking culture among staff at addiction treatment centers

The importance of smoking cessation services and attitudes about smoking culture vary among addiction treatment centers in the US. This study investigates the impact that organizational policy towards staff smoking has on the overall attitudes about smoking among clinical staff. The data was collected from telephone interviews from 222 program administrators throughout the US. The substance abuse facilities were randomly selected using the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration database. We asked administrators “Are clinical staff discouraged from smoking?” Most administrators said their staff was discouraged from smoking (68.9%). Those centers who responded that smoking was discouraged were less likely to view smoking as an accepted part of staff culture (p<0.001). Further, program administrators at those centers were more likely to perceive smoking cessation as an important issue in the successful treatment of other substance abuse problems (p<0.001), and staff are more likely to have interest in providing patients with smoking cessation treatments (p<0.024). Administrators at centers that discourage staff smoking are less likely to believe the notion that allowing patients to continue their smoking facilitates successful treatment of their primary substance abuse issues (p<0.007). This study contributes to the idea that a staff that is discouraged from smoking is likely to have a positive perception of the importance and effectiveness of smoking cessation services in addiction treatment centers.