Winter 2008-2009 - Mayo Clinic

The Tobacco-Free Living center’s primary goal is to
support those seeking treatment for tobacco dependence
by providing:
• Research-based information about the biological basis
for tobacco dependence and why some people have more
difficulty quitting tobacco than others
• Personal stories from patients who became tobacco-free
• Information about the most effective treatment methods
• Easy access to treatment
All information is presented nonjudgmentally. “People
who use tobacco don’t want lectures,” says Tom Gauvin, a
counselor in the Nicotine Dependence Center. “They have
already heard about the dangers of tobacco, and they may
feel ashamed about their lack of success in quitting. By
using the disease model to help patients understand tobacco
dependence, we alleviate the guilt and shame and increase
the chances of success for these individuals.
“The Center for Tobacco-Free Living is intended to be a
safe environment in which tobacco users can be supported
and become engaged in the possibility of treatment. The
straightforward, educational, positive tone is designed to
excite and encourage people in their fight against tobacco.
Ideally, of course, the center is an accessible clinical entry
point for treatment in our Nicotine Dependence Center,
but we want people to seek effective treatment anywhere.”
Sheila Stevens, coordinator of education programs
at the Nicotine Dependence Center, says that tobacco
dependence treatment is underutilized. “More than
40 million people in the United States smoke,” she says.
“Most want to stop but, without treatment, only 3 percent to
Grand opening: (from left to right) Glenn Forbes, M.D., CEO of Mayo
Clinic in Rochester; Andrew Limper, M.D., chair of the Department of
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; Richard Hurt, M.D., director
of the Nicotine Dependence Center; and Denis Cortese, M.D.,
president and CEO of Mayo Clinic, opened the Center for Tobacco-
Free Living on Nov. 20, 2008 — the date of the American Cancer
Society’s 33rd annual Great American Smokeout.
5 percent of quit attempts are successful. Many people don’t
understand that treatment greatly increases their chances of
successfully quitting. If someone has diabetes, a combination
of education and medication helps them manage their illness.
If the first effort does not succeed, medication is changed,
more counseling is provided and the health care team keeps
working with the patient. That doesn’t often happen with
smoking. Patients get lectured, and their willpower is
questioned. Our counselors work hard to develop effective
partnerships with patients without lecturing or blaming.“
The Nicotine Dependence Center provides outpatient,
residential and hospital services. Many patients in the residential
program have tried other types of treatment without
success. Mayo’s residential program has a 52 percent success
rate for one year after treatment. Among outpatients, the
The Anatomy of Addiction: This display in the Center for Tobacco-Free Living shows how addiction to nicotine occurs.
Cigarettes rapidly deliver a large amount a highly addictive substance, which causes changes in the brain. These changes
cause craving and withdrawal.
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