Rethink Tobacco Indiana is a statewide grant initiative aimed at creating awareness and promoting health systems change related to treating tobacco use and dependence in behavioral health settings.
Rethink Tobacco Indiana aligns with the 2025 Indiana Tobacco Control Strategic Plan’s priority areas of increasing the proportion of Hoosiers not exposed to secondhand smoke, decreasing Indiana adult smoking rates, and maintaining state and local infrastructure necessary to lower tobacco use rates.
Rethink Tobacco Indiana is a statewide initiative aimed at bringing tobacco awareness to the field of behavioral health and providing support to behavioral health treatment centers to integrate evidence-based tobacco interventions. Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States.1 Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
In 2022, more American adults died from tobacco‐related illnesses than died from murder, suicide, traffic deaths, and AIDS, combined. Tobacco use rates, specifically cigarette smoking, are disproportionately higher among individuals with a history of mental health conditions or substance use disorders. While representing about 25% of adults in the United States, adults with behavioral health conditions consume almost 40% of all cigarettes smoked by adults across the country!
The population most affected by these statistics lacks access to evidence-based tobacco use treatment. Rethink Tobacco Indiana is working to change that for Hoosiers.
Grant funded since 2008 by the Indiana Tobacco Prevention & Cessation Commission, Rethink Tobacco Indiana provides training and technical assistance for behavioral health organizations including, but not limited to, community mental health centers (CMHCs), addiction treatment facilities, and transitional housing programs. Rethink Tobacco Indiana provides the following activities and resources at no cost:
*TTS trainings may be offered at an additional cost to cover training expenses.
Reduce the prevalence of tobacco use among people with mental health diagnoses or substance abuse disorders.
Provide technical assistance to support behavioral health organizations (e.g. CMHCs, addiction treatment centers, etc.) with integrating evidence-based tobacco treatment services, in both inpatient and outpatient settings, to improve the delivery of these services.
Increase the proportion of tobacco-free campus policies for hospitals, health care centers, community mental health centers, and addiction treatment centers.
Educate current and future healthcare providers to implement recommendations set forth in the 2008 (updated) Clinical Practice Guideline for Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence through broad-scale dissemination efforts that include in-person and interactive web-based trainings.
Increase the number of behavioral health treatment center work sites that provide employer-sponsored tobacco treatment services and benefits for employees who use tobacco products.
Promote available resources to behavioral health organizations and communities, including the Indiana Tobacco Quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW and QuitNowIndiana.com.
At Indiana Addiction Issues Coalition, our message is that addiction is a disease, treatment works and recovery is possible. This is true for tobacco as well. Working in the field of addiction, this gets overlooked consistently. Deaths related to tobacco are significantly higher than any illicit substance yet gets the least attention. People need access to medication and other lifesaving interventions. I’m glad that here in Indiana we have people like Debi spreading this message and educating the people of Indiana.
Brandon George — Director of Indiana Addiction Issues Coalition
I believe tobacco treatment is essential to recovery.
Stephen McCaffrey — President and CEO of Mental Health America of Indiana
You know, we have had data on recovery rates for addiction to alcohol and drugs with tobacco cessation as part of the entire recovery plan for many years. There is a 25% better chance of long-term recovery with tobacco cessation, and I don’t see our industry making tobacco cessation a standard of care? Let’s hope this changes, and soon. Tell me any other single behavior that has such an impact on long term recovery.
Jim Ryser — Former Director of Pain Services and Chemical Dependency Program at IU Health Methodist Hospital
Tobacco may seem harmless due to not having the quick detrimental effects as other drugs like heroin, crack, and alcohol, but tobacco use is linked to killing more and costing more than all substance use put together. Unfortunately, children are some of those affected, not just through smoking themselves, but rather by second and third hand smoke. Tobacco Use Disorder is treatable and increases the chance of long-term recovery by 25% when treated with other substance use disorders based off a meta-analysis of smoking cessation.
Nick Svetlauskas — Former Bureau Chief of Addiction Services | Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction
I was working at a treatment facility for Family Day and the first group was the family members and we discussed co-dependency. Of course, many of the families purchased cartons of cigarettes for those in treatment. My TTS training took over, and I went on about a 10-20 min discussion on the addiction of cigarettes and implications of smoking on health etc ... cannot thank you enough for the [TTS] training and material.
Brian Bill — Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) for IU Health Employee Assistance Program
The opportunity to attend the TTS training has opened a new line of care I can provide. As people are in early recovery, they often talk about the changes they want to make and now I feel better prepared to talk about smoking cessation programs they have at their disposal. Before the training, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to have those conversations.
Kelly Bevelhimer — Peer Recovery Coach-Indiana Addictions Issues Coalition (IAIC)
