Success of a Tobacco Cessation Program for Parents at a Children's Hospital

Abstract

Background:

Secondhand smoke (SHS) has the same harmful chemicals that smokers inhale and there is no safe level of exposure. Children are most affected by SHS and least able to avoid it. The Tobacco Dependence Program (TDP) was developed to help reduce first, second, and third hand smoke exposure to our patients while they are admitted to the hospital.

Methods:

The TDP consists of a director, 3 coordinators, and 15 team members certified as Tobacco Treatment Specialists. The program is offered to any admitted patient or caregiver who lives in the patient's home. We support participants whether their goal is to quit smoking or to abstain during the hospitalization. We provide weekly counseling and free over the counter nicotine replacement therapy for the entire duration of the hospitalization. The inclusion criterion for caregivers is a 7-day minimum stay. In-patients are automatically eligible. Prior to discharge we refer them to an outside program.

Results:

As of April 2018, we have enrolled 106 participants.5% were in-patients.93% were ready to quit.69% have children who are critically ill and in ICU: PICU 28%, NICU 19%, CICU 15%. The ethnicity of participants is predominately Caucasian (55%) followed by African American (35%), Hispanic (7%), and Asian (<1%).57% of participants are female.59% of participants began smoking between the ages of 12-18 y, 21% began between the ages of 18-25 y, 9% began before the age of 12 y, 7% between the ages of 25-35 y, and 4% in the past 5 years. Education level of participants include: 47% are high school graduates/GED, 23% have some college education, 15% have a college degree, 14% did not graduate high school, and < 1% have a graduate degree. Traditionally tobacco companies market their products towards adolescents, low income individuals and minorities. This data does not consistently represent these perceptions. 28% of participants responded to a discharge survey with 50% of respondents stating they were able to quit before discharge.

Conclusions:

The Tobacco Dependence Program offers support to families as they begin the quitting process and provide the tools to continue a smoke free lifestyle after discharge. Our belief is that this reduction in second hand and third hand smoke will also reduce admission rates for our patients. More research needs to be done to prove the long-term benefit of the program.